wither in the light

Ok, we kill them, they kill us, everybody kills everybody, forever and ever, world without end, amen. Turns out more and more of our 'non-combat' losses these days, however, are suicides. The US Army has revealed that suicides among US soldiers in Iraq are three times the usual rate.

One of the latest victims was buried in a Pennsylvania village on Monday. After calling home, Corey Small, 20, killed himself in front of other troops who were waiting to use the phone.

There are no official figures for GI suicides in Vietnam. But when the US pulled out in 1975 it had lost 60,000 troops and, according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 180,000 Vietnam veterans have since taken their own lives.

In Britain more than 260 Falklands veterans have committed suicide - more than those killed in the war.

Think about that when you're driving your SUV with the big American flag flying off the back, asshole.