(2005-10-26) — Democrat National Committee Chairman Howard Dean urged party members to “restrain their joy” during nationwide celebrations of the 2,000th American fatality of the Iraq war, “out of respect for the untold thousands who have been killed by our troops.”

“These American military dead are not just names on a list,” Mr. Dean said. “Behind many of those names we can feel the loss of the grieving families of Arab freedom fighters who mourn their dearly-departed insurgents.”

In an email to Democrat party members, Mr. Dean suggested that local celebrations of the grim milestone include “a moment of non-sectarian silence before the champagne corks start popping.”

At the end of his note, the DNC chief added, “P.S. — I hope the 2000 celebration helps us all to look forward eagerly to 2008.”