From the April 2003 Idaho Observer:

By the numbers: Putting the Iraq war into perspective

There are so many indications this war is an abomination; the world is getting very angry at the Ceasarian/Napoleanic/Hitlerian/Stalinist manner in which the U.S. is handling its foreign affairs; the Iraqis do not want us in their country and; the Iraqis were obviously no threat to U.S. security and have no “weapons of mass destruction.”

Why must the U.S. continue its agression if none of the excuses for being there hold any water? We have answered those questions already. The following numbers, most of them published recently in the Toronto Star, make this abomination more abominable, if that's possible.

77: Percentage of Americans who support military action against any country believed to be linked to 9/11 terrorist attacks.

69: In a 2002 poll, percentage of Americans who said they believe Iraq has nuclear weapons.

0: Number of nuclear warheads in Iraq.

53.9: Estimated percentage of U.S. troops over the age of 20 deemed to be overweight by federal obesity standards.

$850 billion: Estimated military spending in the world in 2002.

50: Percentage spent by U.S.

0.0015: Percentage spent by Iraq.

50 percent: Spending increase on U.S. national defense projected between 2000 and 2007.

320 metric tonnes: Amount of depleted uranium left in region after 1991 Gulf War.

300,000: Estimated number of U.S. soldiers said to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome.

700: Between 1991 and 94, percentage increase in cancer rates in Iraq.

1 in 6: Chance the U.S. bombed Iraq on any given day last year.

9: Percentage of U.S. munitions dropped during the first Gulf War that were classified as precision-guided.

75: Percentage used during current war.

98: The “success rate” (percentage of accurate strikes) by Tomahawk cruise missiles as reported during the first Gulf War.

10: Pentagon's estimated “success rate” after the war ended.

$1.3 million: Unit cost of one Tomahawk cruise missile.

725: By April 3, 2003, number of Tomahawks used in Iraq.

6: Of the 10-member commission created to investigate 9/11, the number who have direct links to the airline industry.

$3 million: Budget given to commission.

$9 billion: Estimated monthly cost for U.S. to sustain war in Iraq.

$100 billion: Estimated cost of Iraq “reconstruction.”

$7.4 billion: Amount U.S. will spend on missile defense R & D this year.

70: The percentage increase in wealth gap between the top 10 per cent of American families with highest incomes and the 20 per cent of families with lowest incomes between 1998 and 2001.

400: Number of French products and companies suggested for boycott on several websites.

18: Number of times France has invoked its veto in United Nations history.

76: Number of times the U.S. has used its veto.

1,200: Number of American historians who signed a petition last year demanding the Bush administration respect the U.S. Constitution with respect to declaration of war.

54 to 67: By 2020, estimated percentage of crude oil that will come from Persian Gulf.

2: Iraq's ranking of proven oil reserves, among all countries.

6: Percentage of the world's population living in the U.S.

30: Percentage of the world's energy resources used in the U.S.

89: Percentage of Americans who rely on television as their first source of news during war in Iraq.

92: Between Sept. 14, 2002 and Feb. 7, 2003, percentage of news stories airing on NBC, ABC and CBS that originated directly from White House, Pentagon or State Department.

67: Between March 25 and 27, percentage of U.S. television viewers who said they felt “sad watching the war coverage.”

83: Percentage of U.S. television viewers who say they now want a return to entertainment programming.

236,202: The number of times Osama bin Laden was mentioned in international media reports between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 11, 2002.

57,667: The number of times Osama bin Laden was mentioned between Sept. 11, 2002 and today.

66,648: The number of times Saddam Hussein was mentioned between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 11, 2002.

225,147: The number of times Saddam Hussein was mentioned between Sept. 11, 2002 and today.

Oct. 2, 2002: Date the American Gulf War Veterans Association called for the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after he denied the U.S. sent biological weapons to Iraq during the 1980s.

38: In a 2002 poll, percentage of Americans who said Canada should be annexed.

13: Percentage of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 who could find Iraq on a map prior to the war.

16,000: Number of inactive military ranges in the U.S. with unexploded munitions posing serious environmental hazards.

1.5 million: Number of Internet “hits” the Iraq Body Count Web site has had since the war began.

52: Percentage of these visitors who are from the United States.

50: Percentage of weapons entering the market that come from American firms.

10: Percentage of U.S. military spending that would provide the world'spopulation with basic necessities.

1: Number of countries that have used nuclear weapons against another country.