> First, it would be factually incorrect to directly attribute the
> majority of violent deaths in Iraq since the invasion directly to US or
> coalition forces.
But they would still be alive if the US hadn't invaded the place and imposed Enronomics, deliberately ripping apart every single institution which could conceivably hold the society together. Mathematically speaking, Hersh is correct:
Vietnam had a population of 34 million in 1960, and 46.5 million in 1975. About 3 million died in what the Vietnamese call the American War (1960-75), or roughly 200,000 per year. This means the annual toll ranged from 0.4 to 0.6% of the Vietnamese population.
Fast foward to Iraq 2003, which has 27 million people. Estimated deaths due to US intervention: 215,000 per year. Annual toll on Iraqi population: 0.8%.
-- DRR