The Cost of Squeamishness.

• Position: Impact of military causalities on U.S. foreign policy - Brief Article

U.S. squeamishness about military casualties may be undermining the nation's ability to be an active leader in international affairs, Raphael Pen, an international affairs specialist for the Congressional Research Service, told a hearing on Capitol Hill.

The United Stares, he said, has learned to live with more than 40,000 traffic deaths and 17,000 murders per year. Yet, he added, "in other instances even a small number...