The Shape of World War IV, By Number

The Shape of World War IV, By Number
by Vinay Menon

Never before has liberation seemed so perilous.

"Overcoming evil is the noblest cause and the hardest work," declares
U.S. President George W. Bush. "And the liberation of millions is the
fulfillment of America's founding promise."

It's Thursday. Bush is addressing a boisterous contingent of Marines
at Camp Lejeune, N.C. As he squints into the radiant sky, he pauses
more than 35 times to allow for bursts of cheering, fist pumping and
clapping.

This is the sight and sound of freedom.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, 91 million kilograms of explosives - more than
were used in the entire first Gulf War - have already thundered from
the heavens, erupting into a blur of fireballs and smoldering craters
from Basra to Baghdad to Mosul.

By yesterday, the civilian death toll was estimated at between 600
and 760. To these people, the coalition cause may not seem so noble.
Because liberation managed to do something the treacherous regime did
not: It killed them. As Bush talks, my attention is diverted to an e-
mail, with links to distressing pictures of civilian casualties.

Children missing eyes. Splayed and broken limbs. Skulls crushed like
walnuts. Internal organs spilling from mangled torsos. These broken
images will endure long after the evil is overcome.

It's tough to judge this "preventive" war, since no historical
comparison exists. James Woolsey, the former CIA director, says World
War IV is upon us - "World War III" was the Cold War. What the rest
of the world can't figure out is who started it. And why.

There are many reasons to be skeptical about what is happening right
now. But, sometimes, numbers say more than words. Here are a few that
have caught my attention.

Iraq War Index

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77: Percentage of Americans who support military action against any
country believed to be linked to 9/11 terrorist attacks, even if
innocent civilians are killed in those countries.

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69: In a 2002 poll, percentage of Americans who said they believe
Iraq has nuclear weapons.

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O: Number of nuclear warheads in Iraq.

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53.9: Estimated number of U.S. troops over the age of 20 deemed to be
overweight by federal obesity standards.

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$850 billion: Estimated military spending in the world in 2002.

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50: Percentage spent by U.S.

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0.0015: Percentage spent by Iraq.

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50 per cent: Spending increase on U.S. national defense projected
between 2000 and 2007.

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320 metric tonnes: Amount of depleted uranium left in region after
1991 Gulf War.

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200,000: Estimated number of U.S. soldiers said to be suffering from
Gulf War Syndrome.

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700: Between 1991 and 94, percentage increase in cancer rates in Iraq.

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1 in 6: Chance the U.S. bombed Iraq on any given day last year.

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9: Percentage of U.S. munitions dropped during the first Gulf War
that were classified as precision-guided.

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75: Percentage used during current war.

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98: During the first Gulf War, the reported "success rate" (or
percentage of accurate strikes) by Tomahawk cruise missiles.

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10: Pentagon's estimated "success rate" after the war ended.

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$750,000: Unit cost of one Tomahawk cruise missile.

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725: By Thursday morning, number of Tomahawks used in Iraq.

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6: Of the 10-member commission created to investigate the 9/11
terrorist attacks, the number who have direct links to the airline
industry.

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$3 million: Budget given to commission.

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$9 billion: Estimated monthly cost for U.S. to sustain war in Iraq.

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$100 billion: Estimated cost of Iraq "reconstruction."

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$7.4 billion: Amount U.S. will spend on missile defense research and
development this year.

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70: The percentage increase in wealth gap between the top 10 per cent
of American families with highest incomes and the 20 per cent of
families with lowest incomes between 1998 and 2001.

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400: Number of French products and companies suggested for boycott on
several Web sites.

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18: Number of times France has invoked its veto in United Nations
history.

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76: Number of times the U.S. has used its veto.

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1,200: Number of American historians who signed a petition last year
demanding the Bush administration respect the U.S. Constitution with
respect to declaration of war.

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54 to 67: By 2020, estimated percentage of crude oil that will come
from Persian Gulf.

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2: As a measure of proven oil reserves, ranking of Iraq among all
countries.

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6: Percentage of the world's population living in the U.S.

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30: Percentage of the world's energy resources used in the U.S.

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89: Percentage of Americans who rely on television as their first
source of news during war in Iraq.

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92: Between Sept. 14, 2002 and Feb. 7, 2003, percentage of news
stories airing on NBC, ABC and CBS that originated directly from
White House, Pentagon or State Department.

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67: Between March 25 and 27, percentage of U.S. television viewers
who said they felt "sad watching the war coverage."

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83: Percentage of U.S. television viewers who say they now want a
return to entertainment programming.

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236,202: The number of times Osama bin Laden was mentioned in
international media reports between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 11,
2002.

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57, 667: The number of times Osama bin Laden was mentioned between
Sept. 11, 2002 and today.

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66,648: The number of times Saddam Hussein was mentioned between
Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 11, 2002.

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225,147: The number of times Saddam Hussein was mentioned between
Sept. 11, 2002 and today.

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Oct. 2, 2002: Date the American Gulf War Veterans Association called
for the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after
he denied the U.S. sent biological weapons to Iraq during the 1980s.

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38: In a 2002 poll, percentage of Americans who said Canada should be
annexed.

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13: Percentage of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 who could
find Iraq on a map prior to the war.

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16,000: Number of inactive military ranges in the U.S. that have
unexploded munitions that pose serious environmental hazards.

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1.5 million: Number of Internet "hits" the Iraq Body Count Web site
has had since the war began.

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52: Percentage of these visitors who are from the United States.

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50: Percentage of weapons entering the global market that come from
American firms.

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10: Percentage of U.S. military spending that would provide global
population with basic necessities.

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1: Number of countries that have used nuclear weapons against another
country.

Sources: U.S. Department of Defense, New York Times, Opinion Dynamics
Corporation, Factiva Database, Leger Marketing, Center for Media and
Public Affairs, Medact, Pentagon, Znet, U.S. Surgeon General,
National Geographic, Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations,
World Health Organization, National Energy Policy, Colorado Campaign
for Middle East Peace, Iraqi Body Count, Advertising Age, The Pew
Research Center, Congressional Budget Office, BBC News, Washington
Post, Amnesty International.

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