Iraq Vet Suicides May Surpass Combat Deaths

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The Department of Veterans Affairs has lied about the number of veterans who have tried to kill themselves, according to Sen. Patty Murray, who cited internal e-mails that put the number at 12,000 a year while the department was publicly saying it was fewer than 800.

Some experts now predict that suicide deaths among Iraq veterans will exceed the number of Iraq battlefield deaths.

"The suicide rate is a red alarm bell to all of us," the Washington state Democrat said. She added that the VA's mental health programs are overwhelmed by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans even as the department seeks to downplay the situation.

"We are not your enemy, we are your support team, and unless we get accurate information we can't be there to do our jobs," Murray said.

VA deputy secretary Gordon Mansfield acknowledged the numbers discrepancy and apologized during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.

But Murray remained skeptical, saying the VA has shown a pattern of misleading Congress when it comes to the increasing number of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking help and putting a strain on Defense Department and VA facilities and programs.

"I used to teach preschool, and when you bring up a 3-year-old and tell them they have to stop lying, they understand the consequences," Murray said. "The VA doesn't. They need to stop hiding the fact this war is costing us in so many ways."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• iraq
• veterans
• suicides
• surpass
• combat
• deaths
• VA
• lies
• war
• senator
• patty
• murray
• afghanistan

[cycimian]

We need to get our children home now, Fuck this NWO and we need high treason trials with international warrants served in GreatBrittian Germany Spain And Switzerland, Crimes against humanity .

[Saeyabor]

That's just about the saddest thing I've ever heard. We can bail out corporate parasites but not soldiers... wtf...

[creamcheesenation]

good to know america has a mentally unstable army with over 1000 military bases