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Iraqi Civilian Death Toll tops 1 Million |
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Written by Tina Susman
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Saturday, 15 September 2007 |
A car bomb blew up in the capital's Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Sadr City
on Thursday, killing at least four people, as a new survey suggested that the
civilian death toll from the war could be more than 1 million.
The figure from ORB, a British polling agency that has conducted several surveys
in Iraq, followed statements this week from the U.S. military defending itself
against accusations it was trying to play down Iraqi deaths to make its strategy
appear successful.
The military has said civilian deaths from sectarian violence have fallen more
than 55% since President Bush sent an additional 28,500 troops to Iraq this
year, but it does not provide specific numbers.
According to the ORB poll, a survey of 1,461 adults suggested that the total
number slain during more than four years of war was more than 1.2 million.
ORB said it drew its conclusion from responses to the question about those
living under one roof: "How many members of your household, if any, have died as
a result of the conflict in Iraq since 2003?"
Based on Iraq's estimated number of households -- 4,050,597 -- it said the 1.2
million figure was reasonable.
There was no way to verify the number, because the government does not provide a
full count of civilian deaths. Neither does the U.S. military.
Both, however, say that independent organizations greatly exaggerate estimates
of civilian casualties.
ORB said its poll had a margin of error of 2.4%. According to its findings,
nearly one in two households in Baghdad had lost at least one member to war-
related violence, and 22% of households nationwide had suffered at least one
death. It said 48% of the victims were shot to death and 20% died as a result of
car bombs, with other explosions and military bombardments blamed for most of
the other fatalities.
The survey was conducted last month.
It was the highest estimate given so far of civilian deaths in Iraq. Last year,
a study in the medical journal Lancet put the number at 654,965, which Iraq's
government has dismissed as "ridiculous."
The car bomb in Sadr City injured at least 10 people and set fire to several
shops. Also Thursday, police said they had found the bodies of nine people
believed to be victims of sectarian killings across the capital.
Source:
Los Angeles Times
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