U.S. military and Defense Department civilian casualties in Iraq have now reached 4,000. This total was reached when four soldiers of the Multi-National Division – Baghdad were killed by a roadside bomb yesterday in southern Baghdad.

Anti-war activists Code Pink will be holding a vigil at 5pm today, Monday, March 24, at Sixth and Lamar to mark this event. The group requests that attendees wear black and, if possible, be veiled.

Of that 4,000, 371 came from Texas; 12 were from Austin. These numbers do not include fatalities of Iraqi civilians or military personnel (90,000 according to Iraq Body Count, over one million according to the Opinion Research Business), non-US troops (307, according to CNN), reporters (127 journalists and 50 media workers according to the Committee to Protect Journalists), contractors, and aid workers.

While the deaths were being announced, Pres. George Bush was in the Blue Room at the White House, greeting Troy Aikman, the Jonas Brothers, and Mickey Mouse before embarking on the annual Easter Egg Roll. The theme of this year’s roll is ocean conservation.

This article appears in March 21 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.