In Baghdad, 1 in 200 have died from shootings, stabbings and violence.

[keopeli]

Since the US and Britain invaded Iraq unprovoked, at least 30,240 bodies have been brought to the Baghdad morgue, the vast majority of them shot by gunmen never prosecuted. In May 2006 alone, the deadliest month so far, 1,398 bodies were brought to the central morgue, according to Ministry of Health statistics, which is 243 more than April. link

Baghdad has a population of less than 6 million residents. Of those living in Baghdad, more than 1 in every 200 civilians have perished, and almost all of those from gunfire. That does not include military and police deaths nor persons killed in the almost daily explosions or other violence so severe that an autopsy is not feasible.

Listed below are various US cities for comparison:

Baghdad - 50 per 100,000 (excludes many deaths so violent an autopsy is impossible and all military/police deaths)

Washington DC - 45 per 100,000

Detroit - 41.8 per 100,000

Baltimore - 37.7 per 100,000

Atlanta - 34.9 per 100,000

St. Louis - 31.4 per 100,000

(US figures quoted from Sen. King R-IA, who was trying to show that Iraq was a safer place than the US. WARNING: Link is to NewsMax. It is reasonable, then, to assume the figures on US cities vary from mildly to grossly inflated.)

All of these numbers are conservative, meaning they are likely underestimating, perhaps grossly, the real toll of the Iraq war on civilians living in Baghdad.

If anyone has better numbers on current violent death rates in US cities to improve this comparison, your input would be welcome.

Turned a corner?

Last throws?

Not a civil war?

Improving post-election?

Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.

[Canuckistanian]

1. They say the Baghdad count is way off

Because of the lack of bodies brought to the morgue and the Muslim custom of burial within 24 hours.

Officials can barely keep enough people to cover emergencies, let alone to pick up (and subsequently count) all the dead.

It truly has become a hellhole.

[Erika]

2. A hellhole caused by W and his greed

Not in my name.

[keopeli]

3. Unfortunately, Americans like numbers

and these are the best that i have right now. I believe your assertions are correct.