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U.N. Puts ’06 Death Toll in Iraq Above 34,000
NY Times ^ | January 16, 2007 | SABRINA TAVERNISE

Posted on 01/16/2007 11:36:51 PM PST by woofie

BAGHDAD, Jan. 16 — The United Nations reported Tuesday that more than 34,000 Iraqis were killed in violence last year, a figure that represents the first comprehensive annual count of civilian deaths and a vivid measure of the failure the Iraqi government and American military to provide security.

Numbers of civilian deaths have become the central indicator for the trajectory of the war and are extremely sensitive for both Iraqi and American officials. Both track the tallies but neither will release them.

This latest figure was the first attempt at hand-counting individual deaths for an entire year. It was compiled using statistics from local morgues, hospitals and municipal authorities across Iraq and was nearly three times higher than an estimate for 2006 compiled from Iraqi ministry tallies by The Associated Press earlier this month.

An Iraqi government spokesman called the count exaggerated and said it had been obtained using “incorrect sources.” Though the Iraqi government closely tracks deaths through the Interior and Health Ministries, he said it did not have a system in place for compiling a comprehensive figure.

The vast majority of Iraqi deaths are reported, at least to local authorities, so that Iraqis can obtain death certificates to prove inheritance and to receive government compensation. Some deaths still go unreported, however, and the United Nations tally may in fact be lower than the true number of deaths nationwide.

As death tolls have risen, the lack of security has become the single most important barrier to success of the American enterprise here. The numbers of dead, at least at the Baghdad morgue, are running double what they were in 2005.

Underscoring the challenge, even as the United Nations released its figure — 34,452 deaths in all — at least 70 more people were killed when a series of ....

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: agitprop; iraq; mediawar; propaganda; terroristmedia; un
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1 posted on 01/16/2007 11:36:53 PM PST by woofie
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To: woofie

The UN is so helpful


2 posted on 01/16/2007 11:38:09 PM PST by woofie
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To: woofie

Violent crime is rising in America. When will the UN tally those numbers and blame the war?


3 posted on 01/16/2007 11:44:43 PM PST by weegee (A higher minimum wage means a higher income tax level. Did they really get a raise in the end?)
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To: woofie

The NYT is a totally unreliable source of anything.

The UN is an abomination and a disgrace.


4 posted on 01/16/2007 11:45:49 PM PST by CBart95
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To: CBart95

Yes, but note that even if the UN figure is correct and even if it had been constant ever since the start of the Iraq operation, this figure is way way lower than the Lancet figure of 650 000 that is trumpeted by every left-wing moonbat around.


5 posted on 01/16/2007 11:59:56 PM PST by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: woofie
It's interesting that the official UN estimate (inflated as it may be) is a small fraction of the estimates that were being tossed around prior to the US midterm elections. The infamous "study" reported in The Lancet estimated 600,000 dead since the start of the war. The Lancet has rushed reports of "studies" of Iraqi deaths to print twice now -- each time just before a U.S. election.
6 posted on 01/17/2007 12:00:07 AM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: woofie
Darfur toll 'at least 200,000'

The toll includes refugees who die of hunger and disease More than 200,000 people have died in Sudan's Darfur conflict, according to a new scientific study.

US researchers writing in the peer-reviewed journal Science say that their figures are the most compelling and persuasive estimate to date.

7 posted on 01/17/2007 12:04:56 AM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: woofie
Death Toll Put at 160,000 in Chechnya

About 160,000 people have died in Chechnya in the two armed conflicts over the past decade, Chechen State Council chairman Taus Dzhabrailov said Monday, Interfax reported.

Dzhabrailov said the figure included civilians and servicemen and that ethnic Chechens made up 30,000 to 40,000 of the deaths.

8 posted on 01/17/2007 12:05:38 AM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
-- each time just before a U.S. election.

I did not realize that.

Regardless, the NYSlimes and the abomination, aka the UN, are not credible sources for the time of day, let alone anything serious.

9 posted on 01/17/2007 12:22:03 AM PST by Just A Nobody (I - LOVE - my attitude problem! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: ScaniaBoy

Meaning exactly what? Pray tell.

Is one a greater fool than the other?

And then, so what?

Do either play any relevant role in any part of the eventual outcomes?

Why are we permitting noisome factions the priviledge of irresponsible commentary in these affairs? When did left-wing "Moon Bats" get awarded a place at the table?

We certainly will not stop their mindless chatter but we certainly have little to gain in acknowledging and granting them any role other than sponsors of slaughter.


10 posted on 01/17/2007 12:29:26 AM PST by CBart95
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To: Just A Nobody

Here's a link to a story about the first study (released just before the Presidential election in 2004):

http://www.slate.com/id/2108887/

And here's a link to a story about the second "study" (released just before the midterm elections in 2006):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001442.html

Note that the first "study" estimated about 100,000 deaths; while the second (just 2 years later) estimated 600,000 deaths. Apparently gross exaggeration wasn't enough -- unbounded hyperbole was deemed necessary. You'll still hear useful idiots quoting these absurd figures -- even though they are several times higher than even the UN estimates.


11 posted on 01/17/2007 12:40:03 AM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: woofie
According to Lawrence Journal World: 44,000 U.S. people, give or take several hundred, will have died in auto accidents this year......

And, getting out of bed in the morning can be hazardous to your health...

12 posted on 01/17/2007 12:40:03 AM PST by GoldCountryRedneck ("Idiocy - Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers" - despair.com)
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To: weegee

Not only that but death figures are inherently bad stats.

I am willing to bet the mortality rate for Iraq to be 100% of the current population over the next 100 years. Genocide = Gerationalocide.

BTW, I just looked at the obits in the Sacbee and we are having a quagmire here.


13 posted on 01/17/2007 12:52:21 AM PST by Ritemind (Hanging chads is less science than hanging despots)
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
Unbelievable! Thanks for the links. I remember hearing that outrageous figure last fall, but was too busy with the elections to find the source of the lie.

And both released just before the elections. Pathetic.

14 posted on 01/17/2007 1:00:55 AM PST by Just A Nobody (I - LOVE - my attitude problem! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: CBart95
Meaning that those people can't even keep tabs on their own lies. All over the MSM and the left side of the blogosphere the UN figures are made into the big news of the day - but what is never acknowledged is that they actually have downsized their estimates by some 75 or 80%.

Do either play any relevant role in any part of the eventual outcomes?

Unfortunately yes. The Islamists are well aware that the only way for them to win the war is to win via the Western media.

Why are we permitting noisome factions the priviledge of irresponsible commentary in these affairs? When did left-wing "Moon Bats" get awarded a place at the table?

Sigh. I don't know - they shouldn't be no question about it - but they seem to be.

15 posted on 01/17/2007 2:14:41 AM PST by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: woofie

16,273 deaths reported in Iraq in 2006 (44.7 average deaths per day, not 100)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1761216/posts


16 posted on 01/17/2007 3:24:09 AM PST by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: woofie

About 1,000 Americans died. Sort of rebuts the libs' repeated ranting about how the Iraqis are making us do all the work.


17 posted on 01/17/2007 3:29:28 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: woofie

Wonderful. Now I need to hear about US soldiers killing all those poor people. When I point out that many civilians are dying due to INSURGENTS, they'll just say that's our fault.

I want them to go up to soldiers who fought/are fighting over there and say, you're horrible murderers! The trouble is, I don't really want them to, because where a sane person would realize, shoot, I'm wrong, they'd actually do it.


18 posted on 01/17/2007 3:29:59 AM PST by Nevernow ("No one has the right to choose to do what is wrong." Abraham Lincoln)
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To: woofie
I saw this as a huge headline in the Phila. Inquirer this morning and I was going to post this but lo I searched and avoided the flames for duplicate posts.

Iraq has a population of 28,807, 000 and 34,452 "killed in violence." I calculate that as a "killed in violence" rate of 119.6 per 100,000.

Can someone check my math?

19 posted on 01/17/2007 5:37:58 AM PST by Tribune7 (Conservatives hold bad behavior against their leaders. Dims don't.)
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To: Ritemind
BTW, I just looked at the obits in the Sacbee and we are having a quagmire here.

I always avoid Sacramento for that reason

20 posted on 01/17/2007 6:34:47 AM PST by woofie
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