U.S. troops clash with al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army

The muster-roll of the dead may be a monument of governmental incapacity as well as a certificate of patriotism and courage. It is always glorious for the other man to die for his country,—at least the survivor says so; but the fact that his life has been needlessly thrown away is calculated to throw some doubt on the subject. A civilized nation cannot afford to throw away a single life.