400 and Counting: IRAQ'S Grim Death Toll for May

[chlamor]

400 and counting: IRAQ’s Grim death toll for may

By Trevor Royle, Diplomatic Editor

“WE don’t do body counts,” was the infamous retort by US general Tommy Franks when he was asked about Iraqi civilian deaths. To date nobody knows the exact figure, but one thing is clear: it is being added to with a relentlessness which is enraging Iraqis and worrying coalition commanders.

Yesterday eight Iraqis – including five civilians – were shot dead by US forces in Mosul, four were killed by a suicide car bomb attack in central Baghdad, and in the west of the city a hand grenade attack left one policeman dead. In the middle of the day gunmen assassinated senior foreign ministry official Jassim al-Muhammadawy in Baghdad.

The US military also revealed yesterday that 100 insurgents and nine American troops have been killed in the past week in an operation near the Syrian border, bringing the total number of US troops killed since the conflict began to 1614. The brunt of the killings, however, has been felt by Iraqi civilians as the country is put on the rack by a sharp increase in the levels of attacks by insurgents.

In May alone, more than 400 Iraqis have been killed, and the recent bloodshed shows no sign of receding. One scene encapsulated the sense of frustration and anger felt by the people of Iraq as they helplessly watch the spate of violence. Following a car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Thursday, which left nine people dead, an Iraqi policeman vented his frustration on uncomprehending US soldiers who were doing their best to help the victims. He screamed at them: “This is all your doing. Why don’t you leave us and go home?”

http://www.sundayherald.com/49799

[merwin]

1. So, we got 125 'insurgents', they got 400 civilians.

To be fair, we helped up the civilian body count for them. I'm sure at least 25% of those 'insurgents' were civilians.

[Erika]

2. See www.icasualties.org

for the true picture.

[PennyLane]

3. But Wait A Minute..........

.......Don't these people know we only want to help them!?!

Just when you think it can't get any worse, it gets MUCH WORSE. :grr:

[anitar1]

4. Between the insurgents and US killing the

population at this rate, I wonder how long it will take to wipe most of them out.? It would be interesting to know just how many have been killed. Many more than has been reported. I would say at least triple what we have been told.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

5. at least triple!

something like over 200 thousand is realistic...
I heard somewhere,( can't remember where) but they divided the reported number of U.S bombs dropped by the "reported" number of casualties--something ridiculous--like each of our bombs killed les than one operson by their accounts-
Anyone recall that story?

[chlamor]

6. Your estimate

is closer to the truth, yet when so many other items are factored in such as increased mortality due to infrastructure destruction, increased infant mortality due to food shortages, increased death due to water borne illnesses, increased death due to depleted uranium contamination etc. the death toll will be in the several hundred thousand range and could easily get in the millions in the next few years unless this ceases.

[DrDebug]

7. And now put it in perspective

Total population: 26,000,000
Foreign troups: 161,000
Iraq troups: 162,000

The insurgencies must be around 3 times higher than the troup count so around let's say 1,000,000

That means that death count from the figure you've mentioned is approaching 0.4% of the population /year
Number of troops is 1.2% of the population
Number of insurgences is close to 5% of the population

In short there probably are not many Iraqi who don't have a war related death or an 'insurgent' in their family.

(All figures are estimates of course)