A day of stories
The Marine who provided flag placed on Saddam statue was in Pentagon on 9/11:
"Watching from the sidelines, Lieutenant McLaughlin took his Stars and Stripes out of a sealed pouch, so that it could be wrapped around the statue’s hollow metal head.
The 25-year-old Russian language and poetry graduate explained later that a broken leg had taken him to room 5E678 at the Pentagon, where he was working as a general’s aide on September 11, 2001.
“I had just gone for my morning run and I was right at the Jefferson Memorial when the plane hit the Pentagon. I sprinted back because my older brother also works there. After I searched for him and found he was all right I spent the rest of the day at Ground Zero, helping out the ambulance and firefighting guys.
“In the days following that I had to determine what to do after my leg healed, so the general offered me this job. He said I wouldn’t be going to Afghanistan because it was too soon but after that I would get a chance to go and . . ” He searches for a euphemism . . . “stop people doing harm”.
He continues: “I know Iraq didn’t have anything to do with September 11, but I think that, given the opportunity, a person like Saddam Hussein would certainly be capable of trying to hit London or Paris or New York.
“This flag was given to me on September 11. Now it is in Baghdad and now I am happy.”"
...in Times Online.

Thin Ice, an analogy. (via Warfilter)

And, please, let's not forget Ali Ismail Abbas. Donations through the Limbless Association.

International Committee of the Red Cross: Iraq Special has more information on casualties, humanitarian movements.

Religion Newswriters Assn has a site on covering war casualties. Lots of great links, experts, statistics here.