Data Skills Test

As Rememberance Day has just passed and we've also seen the 100th British Soldier die in conflict this year for the second year running, I thought I'd look at the numbers behind the conflict. I've created a very interesting chart comparing the amount of casualties each year due to the 'War on Terror' and it's clear that the amount of casualties is actually rising, which casts doubts that our operations in the countries to make them safer are working. Here's the chart:












The new pledge by out ConDem government to have the soliders out by 2015 also has to be questioned if violence and resistance is increasing which the chart clearly shows it is. On the other side of the arguement though, is that the increased number of casualties are due to a renewed push to finally topple the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the two countries though it will be a number of years until we see if the extra loss in life has produced any results. I'll leave you to make up your own mind.

Related articles:

The Sun 100th 2010 soldier death: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3237680/Tributes-to-100th-soldier-killed.html

BBC article on government 2015 pledge:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10420911

Data courtesy of the Guardian data-store at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=phNtm3LmDZEOjtESRY5o0dw#gid=2