Did I Not Mess Up?

In response to my Afghanistan-casualties correction, reader J.L. emails (from Sweden!)

Is it possible that Gates is refering to *casualties* instead of *fatalities*, i.e. counting both KIA and WIA?

Or maybe he’s discounting non-hostile OIF deaths, in which case the number for May is 15; and since there were 16 deaths in May in Afghanistan, Gates’s statement would make sense.

Then again, that 16 includes non-hostiles, so…

He does say “casualties.” Hmm.