Emanuel Statement on Repeated Inaccuracies by Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz

CHICAGO, IL—U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) released the following statement today in response to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz’s testimony on the number of U.S. fatalities in Iraq.

“Yesterday during testimony in the House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz responded to a question on how many troops had died in Iraq by saying, “It’s approximately 500, of which -- I can get the exact numbers -- approximately 350 are combat deaths.”  As of today, there have been 734 deaths.  The Deputy Secretary was off by 234 American lives.

Today, a Defense Department aide said Mr. Wolfowitz had merely “misspoken” when he understated the number of American dead by more than 30 percent.

What we haven’t yet heard from the deputy secretary, after his appalling gaffe, are the words the families of these slain American servicemen and women deserve to hear:  “I’m sorry.”

It’s unacceptable to think that a man so deeply involved in developing and executing the war in Iraq could so casually misstate the number of Americans lost.  One would think he would grieve the death of each of these brave young men and women, and think of them often as he considers the cost of our policy there.

But this is the same man who last week told the House Armed Services Committee he didn’t know how much of the $87 billion of supplemental funding Congress appropriated last year for Iraq had been spent.

Apparently, Mr. Wolfowitz is pursuing his Iraq policy without regard to either the loss of life or the enormous cost to American taxpayers.

But the least he can do now is show the families of the dead the respect that was so sorely lacking yesterday and offer an apology.

If not, he should resign.”