It’s been 946 days since the United States and the Coalition of the Willing invaded Iraq as a part of the Global War on Terror, which began 1,500 days ago, on 11 September 2001. That latter number is longer than US involvement in World War II (1,345 days) and longer than the American Civil War (1,458 days). 1,500 days into the Vietnam War (counting the Gulf of Tonkin incident as the start of major American military involvement), the 1968 election between Democratic Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Republican former Vice President Richard M. Nixon was reaching its conclusion. Humphrey had been in the Administration throughout the beginning of the war and won the nomination over anti-war candidates despite winning none of the primaries (which had less clout in that era). Nixon told people he had a “secret plan” to end the war. The last American combat troops didn’t leave for four-and-a-half years — a total of 3,159 days.
20 December will be the 1,000th day since the invasion of Iraq.