As many of you know, I’ve been a regular contributor to TomDispatch.com since December 2004.

Tom Englehart, who runs this fantastic site, has just authored an incredibly telling piece about the current situation, statistically, in Iraq.

Here’s a taste of what he writes:

Number of American troops in Iraq, June 2007: Approximately 156,000.

Number of American troops in Iraq, May 1, 2003, the day President Bush declared “major combat operations” in that country “ended”: Approximately 130,000.

Number of Sunni insurgents in Iraq, May 2007: At least 100,000, according to Asia Times correspondent Pepe Escobar on his most recent visit to the country.

American military dead in the surge months, February 1-June 26, 2007: 481.

American military dead, February-June 2006: 292.

Please click here to read this important piece, which is an invaluable research tool.