U.S. Soldiers killed in Iraq

I've just watched a C-SPAN program from early July at which Richard Clarke was a major speaker. At the end of the program, a woman in the audience asked a question of the speakers' panel regarding how to find out the actual number of soldiers who have been killed in Iraq, and was told that even for members of congress that is a virtually impossible task, by design.

I had read somewhere once upon a time (or heard - I forget) that the death toll we are given publicly does not include soldiers who are not pronounced dead on the battlefield, but who die later of their wounds. This woman was quoting some other sources and saying that the count includes only soldiers who die on the day of battle, and that if they die the next day or at any time following, they are not included in the official public tally (which is some number in the 900 range, I believe). She said that by other reports of soldiers who are returned to the States wounded and ill, one of nine of whom do not survive, the estimate is that there may be as many as 8,000 soldiers who have actually died in this war.

According to former congressman Bob Barr (on the panel), you can be fairly sure we will not be finding out.