Iraq War Over

Shannon Stapleton Reuters www.guardian.co.uk

I heard the news early this morning when a local dj, in between traffic reports and weather, informed his listeners that the war is finally over. I immediately felt the sting of tears in my nose, followed by numbness. The announcement felt random and arbitrary, despite the combat troop pullout in August.

Although none of us know with any certainty the meaning or what the overall impact of this war will be, the human cost is all too clear.

U.S. Troop Casualties: 4,486
U.S. Troops Wounded: 32,226
U.S. Troops Suicides: 1 every 36 hours
U.S. Veterans Suicides: 1 every 80 minutes

Sources: Brookings Institute, United Nations, ABC News, CBS News, NPR, Department of Veterans Affairs

Iraq War over:
The Guardian: US marks Iraq exit with flag ceremony
The Christian Science Monitor: Mission accomplished, really: US war in Iraq officially ends
The Whitehouse: Remarks by the President and First Lady on the End of the War in Iraq
Ogden Standard Examiner: Obama: The war in Iraq is over

War is Over If You Want It:
Happy Xmas(War Is Over)
John Lennon

So this is Christmas and what have you done,
Another year over, a new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun,
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fears.

And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong,
The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long.

And so happy Christmas for black and for white
For the yellow and red ones let's stop all the fights.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.

And so this is Christmas and what have we done
Another year over, a new one just begun.

And so happy Christmas we hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.

War is over if you want it, war is over now.