Michael Yon

I read your book over this past weekend. It was OUTSTANDING . I monitor casualty reports on icasualties.org and find facts on American deaths & wounded, and Iraqi coalition and civilian deaths, over a twelve month running average have trended way down since June of 2007. This supports the effectiveness of the surge, but it's not being reported anywhere with pride. Even FOX news is avoiding this good news because it involves the death of America's young. And believe me I hate to see young people, whoever they are, dying. But, by not reporting the great success being achieved by the "surge" we marginalize their lives and their loss. These young men are our greatest heroes and they deserve the recognition. I make it a point to read about each young American who has given his all. Its the least I can do. Most unsettling, was an article-on 5/28/08-stating how "casualties are trending up". This is just not true! See my summary. US causalties are down 40% year over year and Iraqi deaths are down 57% over the same period. US Casualties WOUNDED IN ACTION Rng 12mths mth/mth chg Yr/Yr chg May-08 289 4395 -7.7% -41.4% Apr-08 323 4764 -6.5% -34.6% Mar-08 326 5094 -5.4% -27.9% Feb-08 215 5386 -5.3% -22.4% Jan-08 234 5690 -6.8% -15.9% Dec-07 212 6103 -7.5% -4.8% Nov-07 203 6597 -5.0% 7.8% Oct-07 297 6942 -6.5% 16.3% Sep-07 361 7426 -5.5% 28.1% Aug-07 565 7856 -0.3% 41.5% Jul-07 616 7883 1.2% 43.4% Jun-07 754 7792 3.9% 42.9% May-07 658 7497 2.9% 36.2% Apr-07 653 7283 3.1% 29.3% Mar-07 618 7064 1.7% 21.9% Feb-07 519 6945 2.6% 22.5% Jan-07 647 6769 5.6% 18.0% Dec-06 706 6411 4.8% 7.8% Nov-06 548 6119 2.5% 0.7% Oct-06 781 5970 3.0% -16.0% Sep-06 791 5796 4.4% -18.9% Aug-06 592 5550 0.9% -24.1% Jul-06 525 5499 0.9% -28.3% Jun-06 459 5452 -1.0% -29.6% May-06 444 5505 -2.3% -29.6% Apr-06 434 5632 -2.8% -29.7% Mar-06 499 5796 2.3% -32.8% Feb-06 343 5668 -1.2% -33.9% Jan-06 289 5738 -3.5% -31.0% Dec-05 414 5946 -2.1% -25.7% Nov-05 399 6076 -14.5% -21.3% Oct-05 607 7108 -0.6% 7.2% Sep-05 545 7151 -2.2% 11.9% Aug-05 541 7315 -4.6% 23.4% Jul-05 478 7669 -1.0% 47.1% Jun-05 512 7743 -1.0% 58.4%

KILLED IN ACTION Rng 12mths mth/mth chg Yr/Yr chg May-08 20 607 -14.9% -39.5% Apr-08 52 713 -6.8% -24.7% Mar-08 39 765 -5.2% -16.8% Feb-08 29 807 -6.1% -7.1% Jan-08 40 859 -4.8% 1.9% Dec-07 23 902 -9.0% 9.7% Nov-07 37 991 -3.2% 27.4% Oct-07 38 1024 -6.2% 29.3% Sep-07 65 1092 -0.6% 39.6% Aug-07 84 1099 1.8% 44.8% Jul-07 79 1080 3.4% 38.6% Jun-07 101 1044 4.0% 32.2% May-07 126 1004 6.0% 24.4% Apr-07 104 947 3.0% 15.8% Mar-07 81 919 5.8% 15.7% Feb-07 81 869 3.1% 8.9% Jan-07 83 843 2.6% 5.2% Dec-06 112 822 5.7% -2.8% Nov-06 70 778 -1.8% -8.5% Oct-06 106 792 1.3% -12.3% Sep-06 72 782 3.0% -10.2% Aug-06 65 759 -2.6% -15.9% Jul-06 43 779 -1.4% -11.8% Jun-06 61 790 -2.1% -10.5% May-06 69 807 -1.3% -4.7% Apr-06 76 818 3.0% -3.4% Mar-06 31 794 -0.5% -14.6% Feb-06 55 798 -0.4% -15.7% Jan-06 62 801 -5.3% -11.9% Dec-05 68 846 -0.5% -0.4% Nov-05 84 850 -5.9% 4.0% Oct-05 96 903 3.7% 18.5% Sep-05 49 871 -3.4% 17.4% Aug-05 85 902 2.2% 30.2% Jul-05 54 883 0.0% 33.4% Jun-05 78 883 4.3% 34.6% IRAQI CIVILIANSƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ??ƒ?? Rng 12mths mth/mth chg Yr/Yr chg May-08 499 10795 -12.1% -57.5% Apr-08 744 12276 -8.1% -50.0% Mar-08 980 13353 -13.0% -43.7% Feb-08 674 15350 -13.2% -29.7% Jan-08 554 17690 -6.6% -10.1% Dec-07 548 18938 -6.0% 1.5% Nov-07 560 20142 -6.1% 19.2% Oct-07 679 21446 -3.9% 42.6% Sep-07 848 22306 -10.8% 65.2% Aug-07 1,674 24997 -4.9% 150.9% Jul-07 1,690 26289 1.6% 275.8% Jun-07 1,345 25879 1.9% 352.8% May-07 1,980 25404 3.5% 424.3% Apr-07 1,821 24543 3.4% 558.7% Mar-07 2,977 23731 8.6% 773.4% Feb-07 3,014 21846 11.0% 1244.4% Jan-07 1,802 19678 5.5% 2426.1% Dec-06 1,752 18655 10.4% Nov-06 1,864 16903 12.4% Oct-06 1,539 15039 11.4% Sep-06 3,539 13500 35.5% Aug-06 2,966 9961 42.4% Jul-06 1,280 6995 22.4% Jun-06 870 5715 18.0% May-06 1,119 4845 30.0% Apr-06 1,009 3726 37.1% Mar-06 1,092 2717 67.2% Feb-06 846 1625 108.6% Jan-06 779 779

I am in Iraq as a civilian contractor and stopped at Camp Loyalty to conduct a site assesment. I went into the PX and low and behold, 6 copies of "Moment of Truth in Iraq". I was stunned after reading earlier posts about the supplier of books to AFFES. Several soldiers were lookikgn at them and I asked if they knew of Michael. None of them did, so I explained a little of the book and of Michaels background and his website. They were shocked that they ha not heard of him and were going to look at his site. Keep up the good work.

I'm writing this for Farah,the child who I saw in the arms of Major Mark Bieger in your photograph. I cried when I saw that photo, I couldn't stop crying for a while. What a humane thing Major Bieger did. Why,oh why can't grown adults settle their differences without violence. Who suffers your photograph was a perfect example of who suffers. I know that the world is not perfect but I can understand when people are afraid. Individuals come into your home and say you have to feed us and do as we say or we will start killing one member of your family one at a time until you do as we say. This I'm sure happens world wide where people are not free. So why can't honorable people in power settle their differences. Think of all the things that could be accomplished for the people. Shelter, food, water, schooling and manufacturing to provide all of the above. Mr. Michael Yon please foward this note to be read at the United Nations. I'm 64 years old and they would not listen to me. But maybe you would know of a way for them to listen.

My wife and I have on numerous occasions, discussed the possibility that there must be no good coming out of the Iraq conflict or we would suredly have been apprised of it by our media! As a retired Marine, husband, father of a son that has endured two tours in Iraq, and grandfather of six, I try to provide my family with the "whole story". My contempt of the television media; i.e. 30 second soundbytes, uninformed "eye candy" reporters and one sided depiction of events has been reinforced by your article on the progress in Basra.......Did I Know??? Yes, I knew.....just comforting to finally hear it from someone else. Thank you. You've earned an interested and loyal follower. Keep up the great work!!! Respectfully, Ron