[Peace-discuss] Army suicides

[Ron Szoke]

US army suicides at record level

The US army has said the number of suicides in the military last year was the 
highest since records began, with 115 recorded.

The year saw increased violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, and about a quarter of 
the suicides happened in Iraq.

The extension of deployments from 12 to 15 months added to the strain on 
soldiers serving abroad.

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama called the figures a tragic 
reminder of the costs of the Iraq war.

The figure of 115 deaths in 2007 represents an increase of almost 13% over the 
number for 2006, an army source told the Associated Press.

A military official acknowledged that the wars were having an effect.

"Mainly it is the long time and multiple deployments away from home, the 
exposure to really terrifying and horrifying things, the easy availability of loaded 
weapons, and, of course, it's very, very busy right now," said Col Elspeth Ritchie.

  --  Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7426875.stm
Published: 2008/05/30 01:33:42 GMT  © BBC MMVIII