Real Dead "Action" -  The U.S. Military and the Enemy  1945-2003
This document lists the years and places of U.S. military "action" and proxy actions from 1945-2003.
The list is not complete, in part because of the limitations of my abilities and in part because countless hundreds of "actions" are still being kept secret by the government.
Nevertheless, a large portion of the data comes from the U.S. Navy itself at  http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/foabroad.htm
The Navy listed the years and places of "Use of United States Forces Abroad," but attributed no enemy casualties to the "uses." Navy data is listed as "USN" in the "From" column.
Those estimates come from other sources -- and they are listed under the "From" and "Comments" columns.
One of the many outstanding questions is this: in a Proxy war, when U.S. mercenaries are killed, should they be added to the "good guys" or "enemy" columns? Here, because the
numbers reported often blend these two categories, they have been included in "enemy."  Where these data are separated, they are added to "good guys."
Murders that follow coups engineered by the U.S. (e.g., Guatemala), deaths from environmental destruction caused by U.S. bombing or use of weapons of mass destruction (e.g., depleted uranium 
in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan), or poison spraying (e.g., spraying Agent Orange on Vietnam, herbacides on Colombia), or intentional destruction of infrastructure (e.g., the water systems of Iraq),
are included where estimates have been found.
In cases where there is presently only one estimate, that estimate has been used for BOTH the low and high figure.  Silence on the part of the U.S. govt has here not = 0 for a low.
"Casualties" are people injured but not killed.  They are sometimes referenced, but are not tallied here.
If you have corrections, additions, or supplements, please send them over.  Please include data from which a detailed reference to the source can be created.
Death Counts Last Revised: Feb 8, 2003, 10:30 "Good guys" "Good guys" "Enemy" "Enemy"
Intervention Killed Killed Killed Killed
Years Place Type Low High Low High From Comments
1945 China Direct USN In October 50,000 U.S. Marines were sent to North China to assist Chinese Nationalist authorities in disarming and repatriating the Japanese in China and in controlling ports, railroads, and airfields. This was in addition to approximately 60,000 U.S. forces remaining in China at the end of World War II.
1946 Trieste, Italy Direct USN President Truman ordered the augmentation of U.S. troops along the zonal occupation line and the reinforcement of air forces in northern Italy after Yugoslav forces shot down an unarmed U.S. Army transport plane flying over Venezia Giulia. Earlier U.S. naval units had been dispatched to the scene.
1948 Palestine Direct USN A marine consular guard was sent to Jerusalem to protect the U.S. Consul General
1948-1949 China Direct USN Marines were dispatched to Nanking to protect the American Embassy when the city fell to Communist troops, and to Shanghai to aid in the protection and evacuation of Americans.
1950-1953 Korean War Direct USN The United States responded to North Korean invasion of South Korea by going to its assistance, pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions.
1950-1953 Korean War Direct 36,568 36,568 Website reports to present Department of Defense report: "Principal Wars in which the United States Participated U.S. Military Personnel serving and casualties." http://web1.whs.osd.mil/mmid/casualty/sms23r.pdf
1950-1953 Korean War Direct 3,000,000 3,000,000 Robin Miller, "Washington's Own Love Affair with Terror," ZNet magazine: http://www.zmag.org/millerterror.htm.  He reports that "3,000,000 civilians" killed comes from: Jon Halliday and Bruce Cumings, Korea: The Unknown War, NY: Pantheon Books, 1988, p. 200 (two million North Korean civilian deaths and one million South Korean). See also http://www.gliah.uh.edu/historyonline/con_korea.cfm (2-3 million civilian deaths).
1950-1955 Formosa (Taiwan) Direct USN In June 1950 at the beginning of the Korean War, President Truman ordered the U.S. Seventh Fleet to prevent Chinese Communist attacks upon Formosa and Chinese Nationalist operations against mainland China.
1954-1955 China Direct USN Naval units evacuated U.S. civilians and military personnel frm the Tachen Islands.
1954-1996 Guatemala Proxy war 200,000 Report from United Nations Truth Commission.  Number includes more than 600 masacres.  Heard on KPFA Nov 13, 2002. Also, Jennifer Harbury (1995). "Bridge of Courage," Common Courage Press, p. 21, "...200,000 unarmed civilians..."
1954-1996 Guatemala Proxy war 100,000 Mark Zepezauer, (1994) "The CIA's Greatest Hits," Odonian Press, p. 13, "The CIA ... inaugurated a series of bloodthirsty regimes that murdered more than 100,000 civilians over the next 40 years."
1954-1975 Vietnam Direct, Proxy 3,800,000 3,800,000 Attorney General Robert MacNamara in May 1999 Commonwealth Club of SF speech + Govt of Vietnam. As this number is "official," it is posted as the "low" and "high"
1956 Egypt Direct USN A Marine battalion evacuated U.S. nationals and other persons from Alexandria during the Suez crisis.
1957-1959 Cuba (against Batista govt) Proxy 20,000 "Fidel: The Untold Story" by Estella Bravo. Source documentary on Cuba 2002
1958 Lebanon Direct USN Marines were landed in Lebanon at the invitation of its government to help protect against threatened insurrection supported from the outside.
1959-1960 The Caribbean Direct USN 2d Marine Ground Task Force was deployed to protect U.S. nationals during the Cuban crisis.
1962 Cuba Direct USN President Kennedy instituted a "quarantine" on the shipment of offensive missiles to Cuba from the Soviet Union. He also warned Soviet Union that the launching of any missile from Cuba against nations in the Western Hemisphere would bring about U.S. nuclear retaliation on the Soviet Union. A negotiated settlement was achieved in a few days.
1962 Ecuador Direct USN The 3d Marine Expeditionary Unit landed on May 17, 1962 to support that country during the threat of Communist pressure from outside; by Jul 30 the 5000 marines had been withdrawn.
1962-1976 Laos Direct USN From October 1962 until 1976, the United States played a role of military support in Laos.
1965-1973 Laos Direct 70,000 250,000 Mark Zepezauer, (1994) "The CIA's Greatest Hits," Odonian Press, p. 42, reports 2,000,000 tons of bombs dropped on Laos by U.S. in "secret" war. Wallechinsky, 1959-75: 250,000 deaths and Rummel, 1954-75: War Dead: 32,000, Democide: 38,000 for a TOTAL: 70,000  at http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat2.htm
1962-1975 Cambodia + Laos Direct Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia 2000, article: "Vietnamese Casualties" gave sum for Cambodia+Laos as between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000. 
1962-1975 Cambodia Direct 500,000 1,000,000 website: http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat2.htm
1964 Congo Direct USN The United States sent four transport planes to provide airlift for Congolese troops during a rebellion and to transport Belgian paratroopers to rescue foreigners.
1964-1973 Vietnam War Direct USN U.S. military advisers had been in South Vietnam a decade, and their numbers had been increased as the military position the Saigon government became weaker. After the attacks on U.S. destroyers in the Tonkin Gulf, President Johnson asked for a resolution expressing U.S. determination to support freedom and protect peace in Southeast Asia. Congress responded with the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, expressing support for "all necessary measures" the President might take to repel armed attacks against U.S. forces and prevent further aggression. Following this resolution, and following a Communist attack on a U.S. installation in central Vietnam, the United States escalated its participation in the war to a peak of 543 000 in April 1969.
1964-1973 Vietnam War Direct 58,000 Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia 2000, "Vietnamese Casualties"
1964-1973 Vietnam War Direct 57,679 James Olson, Ed. (1987). "Dictionary of the Vietnam War," Peter Bedrick Books, NY. p. 67 puts U.S. at 47,244 killed in action+10,446 from sickness/accidents.
1965 Dominican Republic Direct USN The United States intervened to protect lives and property during a Dominican revolt and sent more troops as fears grew that the revolutionary forces were coming increasingly under Communist control.
1965-1966 Indonesia Proxy 500,000 2,000,000 Robin Miller, "Washington's Own Love Affair with Terror," ZNet magazine: http://www.zmag.org/millerterror.htm.  He reports that the Indonesian govt admits killing 500,000 people, but that the Australian Secret Service put the figure at 2,000,000.  He writes: "Some general sources on the slaughter: http://www.twf.org/News/Y1999/0915-Indonesia.html. http://dannyreviews.com/h/The_Indonesian_Killings.html. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,530478,00.html.
1967 Congo Direct USN The United States sent three military transport aircraft with crews to provide the Congo central government with logistical support during a revolt.
1970 Cambodia Direct USN U.S. troops were ordered into Cambodia to clean out Communist sanctuaries from which Viet Cong and North Vietnamese attacked U.S and South Vietnamese forces in Vietnam. The object of this attack, which lasted from April 30 to June 30, was to ensure the continuing safe withdrawal of American forces from South Vietnam and to assist the program of Vietnamization.
1970 Cambodia Direct Documentary, "The Trials of Henry Kissenger," 2002, estimated Cambodian casualties @ 500,000.  See 1962-1975 Laos.
1970 Cambodia Direct Mark Zepezauer, (1994) "The CIA's Greatest Hits," Odonian Press, p. 45, puts total at 600,000 (See 1964-1975) Laos
1974 Cyprus - evacuation Direct USN United States naval forces evacuated U.S. civilians during hostilities between Turkish and Greek Cypriot forces.
1975 Vietnam - evacuation Direct USN On April 3, 1975, President Ford reported U.S. naval vessels, helicopters, and Marines had been sent to assist in evacuation of refugees and U.S. nationals from Vietnam. (Note 3)
1975 Cambodia - evacuation Direct USN On April 12, 1975, President Ford reported that he had ordered U.S. military forces to proceed with the planned evacuation of U.S. citizens from Cambodia.
1975 South Vietnam Direct USN On April 30 1975, President Ford reported that a force of 70 evacuation helicopters and 865 Marines had evacuated about 1,400 U.S. citizens and 5,500 third country nationals and South Vietnamese from landing zones near the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and the Tan Son Nhut Airfield.
1975 Mayaguez incident (Cambodia) Direct USN On May 15, 1975, President Ford reported he had ordered military forces to retake the SS Mayaguez, a merchant vessel en route from Hong Kong to Thailand with U.S. citizen crew which was seized from Cambodian naval patrol boats in international waters and forced to proceed to a nearby island.
1975-1993 Angola Proxy war 300,000 Mark Zepezauer, (1994) "The CIA's Greatest Hits," Odonian Press, pp. 54-55
1975-1996 East Timor Proxy war 200,000 Matthew Jardine, "East Timor: Genocide in Paradise," Common Courage Press,  see:  http://www.officeoftheamericas.org/books/genocide_in_paradise/genocide_contents.htm#Contents
1976 Lebanon Direct USN On July 22 and 23, 1974, helicopters from five U.S. naval vessels evacuated approximately 250 Americans and Europeans from Lebanon during fighting between Lebanese factions after an overland convoy evacuation had been blocked by hostilities.
1976 Korea Direct USN Additional forces were sent to Korea after two American military personnel were killed while in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea for the purpose of cutting down a tree.
1978 Zaire Direct USN From May 19 through June 1978, the United States utilized military transport aircraft to provide logistical support to Belgian and French rescue operations in Zaire.
1979-1989 Afghanistan Proxy 875,000 1,500,000 at website: http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat2.htm source USAID study at 875,000 and Britannica Annual (1994) at 1,500,000
1980 Iran Direct USN On April 26, 1980, President Carter reported the use of six U.S. transport planes and eight helicopters in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran.
1980 Iran Direct 3 3 US Marine Corps web site:  http://www.usmc.mil/history.nsf/Table+of+Contents/A192B055F6AC6625852564D70059CA7B?OpenDocument
1981 El Salvador Direct 70,000 80,000 USN After a guerilla offensive against the government of El Salvador, additional U.S. military advisers were sent to El Salvador, bringing the total to approximately 55, to assist in training government forces in counterinsurgency. Britannica: 70,000, Dict.Wars: 80,000: http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat4.htm
1982 Sinai Direct USN On March 19, 1982, President Reagan reported the deployment of military personnel and equipment to participate in the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai. Participation had been authorized by the Multinational Force and Observers Resolution, Public Law 97-132.
1982 Lebanon Direct USN On August 21, 1982, President Reagan reported the dispatch of 80 marines to serve in the multinational force to assist in the withdrawal of members of the Palestine Liberation force from Beirut. The Marines left Sept. 20, 1982.
1982 Lebanon Direct USN On September 29, 1982, President Reagan reported the deployment of 1200 marines to serve in a temporary multinational force to facilitate the restoration of Lebanese government sovereignty. On Sept. 29, 1983, Congress passed the Multinational Force in Lebanon Resolution (P.L. 98-119) authorizing the continued participation for eighteen months.
1982 Lebanon Direct 241 241 website of Arlington National Cemetary: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/terror.htm
1983 Egypt Direct USN After a Libyan plane bombed a city in Sudan on March 18, 1983, and Sudan and Egypt appealed for assistance, the United States dispatched an AWACS electronic surveillance plane to Egypt.
1983-1989 Honduras Direct USN In July 1983 the United States undertook a series of exercises in Honduras that some believed might lead to conflict with Nicaragua. On March 25, 1986, unarmed U.S. military helicopters and crewmen ferried Honduran troops to the Nicaraguan border to repel Nicaraguan troops.
1983 Chad Direct USN On August 8, 1983, President Reagan reported the deployment of two AWACS electronic surveillance planes and eight F-15 fighter planes and ground logistical support forces to assist Chad against Libyan and rebel forces.
1983 Grenada Direct USN On October 25, 1983, President Reagan reported a landing on Grenada by Marines and Army airborne troops to protect lives and assist in the restoration of law and order and at the request of five members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
1983 Grenada Direct Mark Zepezauer, (1994) "The CIA's Greatest Hits," Odonian Press, pp.66-67, reports 376 Cubans+Grenadines and 131 Americans "killed or wounded"
1984 Persian Gulf Direct USN On June 5, 1984, Saudi Arabian jet fighter planes, aided by intelligence from a U.S. AWACS electronic surveillance aircraft and fueled by a U.S. KC-10 tanker, shot down two Iranian fighter planes over an area of the Persian Gulf proclaimed as a protected zone for shipping.
1984-1995 Turkey Proxy 50,000 PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts, Chomsky Addresses Armenian Forum, Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002, http://www.hraic.org/chat/chomsky.html
1984-1995 Turkey Proxy 30,000 Robert Fisk, "Turkey Targets Chomsky," http://www.counterpunch.org/fiskchomsky.html. Fisks reports "tens of thousands" of Turkish Kurds killed and 2 to 3 million made refugees.
1985 Italy Direct USN On October 10, 1985, U.S. Navy pilots intercepted an Egyptian airliner and forced it to land in Sicily. The airliner was carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro who had killed an American citizen during the hijacking.
1986 Libya Direct USN On April 16, 1986, President Reagan reported that U.S. air and naval forces had conducted bombing strikes on terrorist facilities and military installations in Libya.
1986 Bolivia Direct USN U.S. Army personnel and aircraft assisted Bolivia in anti-drug operations.
1987-1988 Persian Gulf Direct USN After the Iran-Iraq War resulted in several military incidents in the Persian Gulf, the United States increased U.S. Navy forces operating in the Persian Gulf and adopted a policy of reflagging and escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Gulf. President Reagan reported that U.S. ships had been fired upon or struck mines or taken other military action on September 23, October 10, and October 20, 1987 and April 19, July 4, and July 14, 1988. The United States gradually reduced its forces after a cease-fire between Iran and Iraq on August 20, 1988.
1988 Panama Direct USN In mid-March and April 1988, during a period of instability in Panama and as pressure grew for Panamanian military leader General Manuel Noriega to resign, the United States sent 1,000 troops to Panama, to "further safeguard the canal, U.S. lives, property and interests in the area." The forces supplemented 10,000 U.S. military personnel already in Panama.
1989 Libya Direct USN On January 4, 1989, two U.S. Navy F-14 aircraft based on USS John F. Kennedy shot down two Libyan jet fighters over the Mediterranean Sea about 70 miles north of Libya. The U.S. pilots said the Libyan planes had demonstrated hostile intentions.
1989 Panama Direct USN On May 11, 1989, in response to General Noriega's disregard of the results of the Panamanian election, President Bush ordered a brigade- sized force of approximately 1,900 troops to augment the estimated 11,000 U.S. forces already in the area.
1989 Phillipines Direct USN On May 11, 1989, in response to General Noriega's disregard of the results of the Panamanian election, President Bush ordered a brigade- sized force of approximately 1,900 troops to augment the estimated 11,000 U.S. forces already in the area.
1989 Andean Initiative in War on Drugs Direct USN On September 15, 1989, President Bush announced that military and law enforcement assistance would be sent to help the Andean nations of Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru combat illicit drug producers and traffickers. By mid-September there were 50- 100 U.S. military advisers in Colombia in connection with transport and training in the use of military equipment, plus seven Special Forces teams of 2-12 persons to train troops in the three countries.
1989 Phillipines Direct USN On December 2, 1989, President Bush reported that on December 1 U.S. fighter planes from Clark Air Base in the Philippines had assisted the Aquino government to repel a coup attempt. In addition, 100 marines were sent from the U.S. Navy base at Subic Bay to protect the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
1989 Panama Direct USN On December 21, 1989, President Bush reported that he had ordered U.S. military forces to Panama to protect the lives of American citizens and bring General Noriega to justice. By February 13, 1990, all the invasion forces had been withdrawn.
1989 Panama Direct 614 Report, Dec 16, 1990, "Panama: "Operation Just Cause" - The Human Cost of the US Invasion, by Physicians for Human Rights.  www.phrusa.org/research/health_effects/humojc.html
1990 Liberia Direct USN On August 6, 1990, President Bush reported that a reinforced rifle company had been sent to provide additional security to the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, and that helicopter teams had evacuated U.S. citizens from Liberia.
1991 Iraq Direct USN On January 18, 1991, President Bush reported that he had directed U.S. armed forces to commence combat operations on January 16 against Iraqi forces and military targets in Iraq and Kuwait, in conjunction with a coalition of allies and U.N. Security Council resolutions. On January 12 Congress had passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq Resolution (P.L. 102-1). Combat operations were suspended on February 28, 1991.
1991 Iraq Direct 1,500,000 Attorney General Ramsey Clark in speech given in Washington D.C. demonstration, October 26, 2002
1991 Iraq Direct 158,000 Thomas Ginsberg, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan 5, 2003. Reports that 158,000 "Iraqi men, women and children died during and shortly after the Persian Gulf war."
1991 Iraq Direct 500,000 Robert Collier, "Iraq links cancers to uranium weapons..." San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 13, 2003, states that a 1991 Britain's Atomic Energy Authority study concluded that the use of Depleted Uranium against Iraq by the U.S. and Britain "could eventually" kill an additional 500,000 people by causing cancer. A U.N. subcommittee designated DU as a "weapon of mass destruction."  http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/01/13/MN233872.DTL
1991 Iraq Direct Kathleen Sullivan, "More clues to Gulf War vets' illnesses Insecticides, anti-nerve gas drug linked to infertility in soldier," Jan 10, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle, reports 200,000 U.S. "casualties" out of 700,000 troops deployed. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/01/10/MN124084.DTL&type=printable
1991 Zaire Direct USN On September 25-27, 1991, after widespread looting and rioting broke out in Kinshasa, U.S. Air Force C-141s transported 100 Belgian troops and equipment into Mnshasa. U.S. planes also carried 300 French troops into the Central African Republic and hauled back American citizens and third country nationals from locations outside Zaire.
1992 Sierra Leone Direct USN On May 3, 1992, U.S. military planes evacuated Americans from Sierra Leone, where military leaders had overthrown the government.
1992 Kuwait Direct USN On August 3, 1992, the United States began a series of military exercises in Kuwait, following Iraqi refusal to recognize a new border drawn up by the United Nations and refusal to cooperate with U.N. inspection teams.
1992 Iraq Direct USN On September 16, 1992 President Bush stated in a status report that he had ordered U.S. participation in the enforcement of a prohibition against Iraqi flights in a specified zone in southern Iraq, and aerial reconnaissance to monitor Iraqi compliance with the cease-fire resolution.
1992 Somolia Direct USN On December 10, 1992, President Bush reported that he had deployed U.S. armed forces to Somalia in response to a humanitarian crisis and a U.N. Security Council Resolution determining that the situation constituted a threat to international peace. This operation, called Operation Restore Hope, was part of a U.S.-led United Nations Unified Task Force (UNITAF) and came to an end on May 4, 1993. U.S. forces continued to participate in the successor United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II), which the U.N. Security Council authorized to assist Somalia in political reconciliation and restoration of peace.
1993 Bosnia-Hercegovina Direct USN On February 28, 1993, the United States bagan an airdrop of relief supplies aimed at Muslims surrounded by Serbian forces in Bosnia.
1993 Bosnia-Hercegovina Direct USN On April 13, 1993, President Clinton reported U.S. forces were participating in a NATO air action to enforce a U.N. ban on all unauthorized military flights over Bosnia-Hercegovina.
1993 Iraq Direct USN In a status report on Iraq of May 24, President Clinton said that on April 9 and April 18 U.S. warplanes had bombed or fired missiles at Iraqi anti-aircraft sites which had tracked U.S. aricraft
1993 Somalia Direct USN On June 10, 1993, President Clinton reported that in response to attacks against U.N. forces in Somalia by a factional leader, the U.S. Quick Reaction Force in the area had participated in military action to quell the violence. The quick reaction force was part of the U.S. contribution to a success On July 1, President Clinton reported further air and ground military operations on June 12 and June 17 aimed at neutralizing military capabilities that had impeded U.N. efforts to deliver humanitarian relief and promote national reconstruction, and additional instances occurred in the following months.
1993 Iraq Direct USN On June 28, 1993, President Clinton reported that on June 26 U.S. naval forces had launched missiles against the Iraqi Intelligence Service's headquarters in Baghdad in response to an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate former President Bush in Kuwait in April 1993.
1993 Iraq Direct USN In a status report on Iraq of May 24, President Clinton said that on April 9 and April 18 U.S. warplanes had bombed or fired missiles at Iraqi anti-aircraft sites which had tracked U.S. aricraft.
1993 Macedonia Direct USN On July 9, 1993, President Clinton reported the deployment of 350 U.S. armed forces to Macedonia to participate in the U.N. Protection Force to help maintain stability in the area of former Yugoslavia.
1999 Yugoslavia Direct 500 2500 Michael Parenti (2000), "To Kill A Nation," Verso, NY, pp. 122-123. 500 "low" is an estimate from Human Rights Watch.  Belgrade is reported to have stated 500 military and 2,000 civilians were killed.
2001, Sept 11 United States terrorist 3,016 3016 Phil Hirschkorn, "Trade Center death toll lowered," Dec 13, 2002 reporting for CNN.  http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/12/13/wtc.victims/index.html
2001-2002 Afghanistan Direct 3,500 Research study published December 10 by Marc W. Herold, Professor of Economics, International Relations, and Women's Studies at the University of New Hampshire.  http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/1210-01.htm
======== ======== ======== ==========
97,507 97,828 9,103,500 14,406,614
 
War Scoreboard  
U.S. score = Enemy dead / U.S. dead  
"Enemy" score = U.S. dead / Enemy dead  
 
Low "Enemy" dead to    
Low U.S. dead = 93 to 1 Victory U.S. !
     
High "Enemy" dead to    
Low U.S. dead = 147 to 1 Victory U.S. !
     
     
Whose tally should these be on?
Cambodia The Khemer Rouge slaughter followed the U.S. destabilization of Cambodia.  Should the 1 to 2 million killed then be added to the U.S. total?
1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War U.S. was arming both sides at the same time - while lying about it.  Should this be counted as a Proxy war?
1994 Rwanda genocide 800,000 U.S. govt went out of its way to avoid use of word "genocide" and did nothing to stop the killing.  Should this be on the U.S. list?
It was claimed that were the U.S. to use the word "genocide" that it would be legally obligated to act to stop the slaughter.