A recent report released by the US military on August 16th shows that in 2006 there have been 99 on-duty American soldiers committed suicide in the Army, which means every 100,000 soldiers 17.3 of them died from suicides. This is already the highest figure for the past 26 years. The report said that nearly one third of the suicides took place in Iraq and Afghanistan, of which 27 happened when the soldiers were on duty in Iraq. Since the outbreak of the Iraq war in 2003, there have been 107 American soldiers committed suicides in this country.
The report revealed that the length of the time of their duty in Iraq and Afghanistan has close relation with the suicide of the soldiers. Serious psychological pressure is the main reason for the suicide behavior.
As a matter of fact, not only American soldiers suffer psychological torment of the Iraq war; British soldiers in Iraq also have the same problems. In 2005, a total of 727 British soldiers in Iraq had mental illness or mental disorder symptoms. In the past four years, more than 20,000 people in the British military service reported symptoms of anxiety and depression.
As a support to the "anti-terrorism" plans of the US and British military and political authorities, more and more American and British soldiers were sent to the frontline of "anti-terrorism" war to safeguard the so-called "national interests." Some of them even paid their blood and lives but did not win any applause and flowers, only had to withstand rising domestic and international pressure. For a long time, the Iraq war has been regarded as an illegal and unjust war by many countries. Quite a few officers and soldiers do not understand why they were sent to a country in which they are not welcomed at all. They are under attacks all the time, also living in extreme fear and suffering mental and psychological torture.
As a result, many countries have or plan to withdraw their troops from Iraq, which also keep pounding the fragile nerves of the US troops.
Several years after the United States launched the "anti-terrorism" war, it lost more than 4,000 officers and soldiers in Iraq, only received doubts on the effectiveness of the war. The death toll will continue to rise as long as the "anti-terror" war carries on. The horrors and fears of the US officers and soldiers towards this war will not stop; neither will the "self-ending" tragedy.
By People's Daily Online
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