Amputations Two Times More Common Than in Previous Wars

The Red Crescent Society in the Northern Iraqi town of Mosul is concerned that limb loss for Iraqi civilians and US troops will pose unprecedented health care challenges in the coming years.  Six percent of all US injuries on the battlefield, whether they be friendly or unfriendly, result in amputations.  The rate is twice as high as in previous wars.

While no major international organizations keep track of how many Iraqi civilians have lost limbs, the Red Crescent Society is aware of the demand for prosthetics:

In the north of Iraq, the Red Crescent Society and the director generalfor health services in Mosul have told US forces, there is arequirement for up to 3,000 replacement limbs a year. If that estimateis applied across the country, it suggests an acute and loominglong-term health challenge that has been largely ignored by the world.

This report underscores how violent this war has been -- something that non-military families here in the US have been so distant from.  This weekend at a book forum in St. Petersburg, Florida, ABC reporter Martha Raddatz said that her experience as a correspondent in Iraq has brought to light how distant Americans truly are from the realities that happen on the ground each day:

"It breaks my heart that so few Americans are connected to this war," Raddatz said. "It really does."

After all, we were told early on by our former Defense Secretary about the "care" and "humanity" that goes into modern warfare.  Many took his word for it.  But after more than four years of the media being spoon-fed sound bites and slogans, we are finally getting a glimpse of how destructive this war has been to the lives of those involved.  And it is not a pretty picture at all.