Cavalier

War always finds a way
--Bertolt Brecht

Luckily, however, there were still savages
and barbarous peoples.
There were Zulus and Afghans,
also the Dervishes of the Soudan [sp].
Some of these might, if they were well-disposed,
‘put up a show’
--Winston Churchill
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The cavalier WaPo headline reads, "2 U.S. troops killed in Iraq; rare loss of American lives amid targeted killings".

BAGHDAD - Two U.S. service members were killed in central Iraq on Sunday night in a rare loss of life for the American military here since the last U.S. combat troops left the country in August.

If it's so rare, why were two U.S. Marines -- Cpl. Sean A. Osterman and Cpl. Eric M. Torbert -- also killed in Iraq 12/16 & 18, for a total of 32 service members killed in Iraq in December, 2010? Does the Post think our memories are so short? Granted, a flurry of holiday shopping and holiday cheer can distract the mind, but only ten days separate the two events.

If combat operations have ended, these troops might like to know why they are now dead.

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NOTE [1/10/11]:

This blog's friend Labrys @ Walk of the Fallen offers the following links for OIF/OAF casualties.

Military Times / Honor the Fallen pages for Iraq's Operation Enduring Freedom conflates the KIA's for Iraq and Afghanistan, hence the confusion.