UK's Blair challenged to tally civilian Iraq war dead

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06424157.htm

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - British diplomats and peers joined scientists and churchmen on Wednesday to urge Prime Minister Tony Blair to publish a civilian death toll in the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

In an unusual open letter to the premier made available to Reuters, the 44 signatories said Blair had rejected other death counts from the war -- figures span 14,000 to 100,000 -- without releasing one of his own.

Any totalling of the Iraqi civilian war dead could embarrass Blair ahead of a general election expected in months in a country that opposed the U.S.-led war.

Britain and the United States have suffered around 1,070 military losses in the war so far but the Iraq-wide casualty count is not known.

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