Similarities in the wars include:
(1) Misleading Congress and the public to permit the United States to enter the conflict; (2) Repeated false U.S. claims of success in the war; (3) Massive numbers of civilian casualties; (4) Major economic, social and political costs; (5) Use of weapons likely harmful to long-term health of combatants and non-combatants -- in Vietnam use of the defoliant Agent Orange, in Iraq use of shells containing depleted uranium; and (6) Violations of the Geneva Conventions.
Differences between the wars include:
In the Vietnam War: (1) Use of a conscripted U.S. military force; (2) Much larger numbers of U.S. casualties (58,000 dead and 150, 000 wounded); (3) Extensive television coverage of U.S. casualties; (4) Massive protests in the United States; and (5) Withdrawal of U.S. troops in 1975.
In the Iraq War: (1) Use of a volunteer U.S. military force; (2) Far fewer U.S. casualties; (3) Limited television coverage of U.S. casualties; (4) Fewer public protests; and (5) Less effective efforts so far to end the war.
Both wars led to profound public health effects and both engendered policy statements adopted by the APHA Governing Council -- In 1969, over five years before U.S. troops withdrew, APHA called for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam; In 2005, APHA condemned the participation of health professionals in torture in Iraq, but has made no statement calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
http://apha.confex.com/apha/134am/techprogram/paper_144656.htm
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