On May 1, 2003, President Bush stood underneath a “Mission Accomplished” banner and announced that “Major combat operations have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”
Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the situation then, compared to the situation now:
| May 1, 2003 | Today | |
| U.S. Troops Wounded | 542 | 24,912 |
| U.S. Troops Killed | 139 | 3,351 |
| Contractors Killed | 69 | 916 |
| Journalists and Media Assistants Killed | 11 | 167 |
| U.S. Forces in Iraq | 150,000 | 146,000 |
| Size of Iraqi Security Forces |
7,000-9,000 | 334,300 |
| Number of Insurgents | less than 5,000 | ~70,000 (Sunni only) |
| Insurgent Attacks Per Day | 8 | 148.9 |
| Cost to U.S. Taxpayers | $79 billion | $421 billion |
| Approval of Bush’s Handling of Iraq | 75% | 24% |
| Percentage of Americans who Believe The Iraq War Was “Worth Fighting” | 70% | 34% |
| Bush’s Overall Job Approval | 71% | 32% |
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