US and Allies 'Kill Most Iraqis.'
BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4217413 | 29.01.2005 13:57
During the last 6 months the US and its allies have killed most Iraqi civilians, as recorded by Iraqi public hospitals; this excludes insurgents and coalition soldiers. Before these confidential figures were leaked, US Ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte claimed: "My impression is that the largest amount of civilian casualties definitely is a result of these indiscriminate car bombings."
Coalition and Iraqi troops may be responsible for killing 60% more non-combatants in Iraq than the insurgents, the BBC has learned.
The civilian death toll for the last six months is contained in confidential records obtained by Panorama.
More than 2,000 civilians were killed by the authorities, while insurgent attacks accounted for 1,200 deaths.
The Iraqi Ministry of Health figures are usually available only to members of Iraq's cabinet.
The data covers the period 1 July 2004 to 1 January 2005, and relates to all conflict-related civilian deaths and injuries recorded by Iraqi public hospitals. The figures exclude, where known, the deaths of insurgents.
Conflict-related civilian deaths in Iraq. July 2004 to January 2005
3,274 civilians killed in total
2,041 by coalition and Iraqi security forces
1,233 by insurgents
12,657 civilians wounded in total
8,542 by coalition and Iraqi security forces
4,115 by insurgents
The figures reveal that 3,274 Iraqi civilians were killed and 12,657 wounded in conflict-related violence during the period.
Of those deaths, 60% - 2,041 civilians - were killed by the coalition and Iraqi security forces. A further 8,542 were wounded by them.
Insurgent attacks claimed 1,233 lives, and wounded 4,115 people, during the same period.
Insurgents have typically used car bombs to target Iraqi security forces, killing many civilians in the process.
Attacks have multiplied in the run-up to the election on 31 January.
Panorama interviewed US Ambassador John Negroponte shortly before it obtained the figures. He told reporter John Simpson:
"My impression is that the largest amount of civilian casualties definitely is a result of these indiscriminate car bombings.
"You yourself are aware of those as they occur in the Baghdad area and more frequently than not the largest number of victims of these acts of terror are innocent civilian bystanders".
The coalition has yet to respond to the figures.
There are no official records for the numbers of Iraqi casualties since the start of the conflict.
Unofficial estimates of the civilian toll vary from 10,000 up to 100,000.
Panorama's film Exit Strategy, reported by BBC world affairs editor John Simpson from Baghdad, will be shown at 2215 GMT, Sunday night on BBC One.
BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4217413
Comments
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Iraqi Health Ministry Refute BBC Conclusions
30.01.2005 04:01
The above report, posted by me, was removed from the BBC website today, due to pressure from Iraqi Ministry Officials, and replaced by the following item. It is a kind of apology, but the new explanation of the figures is far from clear.
The original conclusions contradict the propaganda put out by mainstream media supporting the US occupation of Iraq that it is the insurgents who are causing the most casualties and most of the destruction in Iraq.
This daily diet of propaganda is paramount in preventing further erosion of the already low level of support for the occupation. The Lancet report, published last year, that claimed over 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the invasion has been strongly refuted by the US and UK without providing any evidence to contradict it - they again have relied on the mainstream media to disseminate their propaganda and have ensured it has been largely ignored.
The recent leaks that the US is seeking an exit strategy (a Plan B), ring true in the context that their propaganda war is failing along with the international support for occupation (the majority of Iraqi have always wanted an end to the occupation). More critically the military operation in iraq is failing exemplified by the rate of US causalities steadily increasing over the last six months, and the continued degeneration and destruction of infrastructure.
The US have recklessly gambled everything on the Iraqi elections, which take place today, hoping for a miracle. But their can be no winners, well, except those who have opposed them. The strategy of the US has been to stage farcical elections to avert military and political defeat. Military defeat in Iraq would be an overwhelming catastrophe for the US empire - politically, economically, and in the social stability of the US homeland. The stakes for US capitalism could not be higher - Bush, Blair and their neoconservative bakers losing their jobs would just be a mere trivial formality.
Excuse the extended introduction - which wasn't intended - to the replaced BBC report. Here it is, although I feel its value is close to zero, but is included for reasons of balance and completeness.
----------
Source -
Iraq Health Ministry Figures
On Thursday, January 27 2005, the Iraqi Ministry of Health released to the BBC's Panorama programme statistics which stated that for the six-month period from 1 July 2004 to 1 January 2005:
3,274 people in Iraq were killed and 12, 657 injured in conflict related violence
2,041 of these deaths were the result of "military operations", in which 8,542 people were injured
1,233 deaths were the result of "terrorist operations"
These figures were based on records from Iraqi public hospitals.
The BBC reported these figures as meaning that the deaths and injuries resulting from "military operations" were the result of actions by the Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.
Today, the Iraqi Ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying matters that were the subject of several conversations with the BBC before the report was published, and denying that this conclusion can be drawn from the figures relating to military operations.
It states that those recorded as killed in military action included Iraqis killed by terrorists, not only those killed by Coalition forces or Iraqi security forces; and that those recorded as killed in military action included terrorists themselves, and Iraqi security forces.
H
Iraqi Health Ministry Refute BBC Conclusions
30.01.2005 04:11
The original conclusions contradict the propaganda - so important to the US - put out by mainstream media supporting the US occupation of Iraq that it is the insurgents who are causing the most casualties and most of the destruction in Iraq.
This daily diet of propaganda is paramount in preventing further erosion of the already low level of support for the occupation. Another report by the Lancet medical journal, published last year, which claimed over 100,000 Iraqi civilians had been killed since the invasion has been strongly refuted by the US and UK without providing any evidence to contradict it, and was again supported by mainstream media to disseminate their propaganda has ensured it has been largely ignored.
Recent stories that the US is seeking an exit strategy (a Plan B), ring true in the context that their propaganda war is failing along with the international support for occupation (the majority of Iraqi have always wanted an end to the occupation). More critically, the US military operation in iraq is failing, which is exemplified by the rate of US causalities steadily increasing over the last six months, and the continued degeneration and destruction of infrastructure.
The US have recklessly gambled everything on the Iraqi elections, which take place today, hoping for a miracle. But there can be no winners, well, except those who have opposed the elections. The strategy of the US has been to stage farcical elections to avert military and political defeat. Military defeat in Iraq would be an overwhelming catastrophe for the US empire - politically, economically, and in the social stability of the US homeland. The stakes for US capitalism could not be higher - Bush, Blair and their neoconservative backers consequently losing their jobs would just be a mere trivial formality.
Excuse the extended introduction - which wasn't intended - to the replaced BBC report. Here it is, although I feel its value is close to zero, but is included for reasons of balance and completeness.
----------
Source -
Iraq Health Ministry Figures
On Thursday, January 27 2005, the Iraqi Ministry of Health released to the BBC's Panorama programme statistics which stated that for the six-month period from 1 July 2004 to 1 January 2005:
3,274 people in Iraq were killed and 12, 657 injured in conflict related violence
2,041 of these deaths were the result of "military operations", in which 8,542 people were injured
1,233 deaths were the result of "terrorist operations"
These figures were based on records from Iraqi public hospitals.
The BBC reported these figures as meaning that the deaths and injuries resulting from "military operations" were the result of actions by the Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.
Today, the Iraqi Ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying matters that were the subject of several conversations with the BBC before the report was published, and denying that this conclusion can be drawn from the figures relating to military operations.
It states that those recorded as killed in military action included Iraqis killed by terrorists, not only those killed by Coalition forces or Iraqi security forces; and that those recorded as killed in military action included terrorists themselves, and Iraqi security forces.
H
BBC got it wrong
30.01.2005 15:48
Saturday January 29, 11:07 PM -- BBC apologises for Iraqi death stats mix-up
"The BBC regrets mistakes in its published and broadcast reports yesterday." the BBC said.
BBC acknowledges it got it wrong:
Saturday January 29, 11:07 PM -- BBC apologises for Iraqi death stats mix-up
"The BBC regrets mistakes in its published and broadcast reports yesterday." the BBC said.
The new explanation of the figures is perfectly clear: the "military action" figure includes Iraqis killed by terrorists in shoot-outs with the army, and also includes terrorists killed by the army, and Iraqi security forces killed by terrorists. The original (wrong) explanation for the fidures was that all "military action" deaths were civilians killed by the army.
Rob
'Perfectly clear'?
30.01.2005 20:59
Rob, if it is 'perfectly clear' what the figures mean, could you, in your own words, clearly explain what the figures mean.
Thanks.
Honest Humphrey
I did
30.01.2005 23:39
Rob
I did read
31.01.2005 23:02
I meant explain what the figures tell us. If as you say, you understand them, answer the following simple question:
Tell us how many the US killed, and how many the insurgents killed.
I assert that you cant now, even though the Iraqi ministry must have this information by the way in which they have categorised the deaths. The second press release reclassified the figures so you couldn't get this simple breakdown, because it is so damning against the coalition forces.
Over to you.
Hon Humph