Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust'

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

The British government was advised against publicly criticising a report estimating that 655,000 Iraqis had died due to the war, the BBC has learnt.

Iraqi Health Ministry figures put the toll at less than 10% of the total in the survey, published in the Lancet.

But the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific adviser said the survey's methods were "close to best practice" and the study design was "robust".
...
Speaking six days after Sir Roy praised the study's methods, British foreign office minister Lord Triesman said: "The way in which data are extrapolated from samples to a general outcome is a matter of deep concern...."

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6495753.stm

---

The BBC used the Freedom of Information Act to get the internal documents, in which the survey's methods are accepted. Nevertheless, the British government continued to claim the methodology was bad.

[Old and In the Way]

1. We'll never get the truth from this White House.

Given the fullscale war that's been underway since 2003, I have no doubts that this figure is fairly accurate. Perhaps our military aren't directly responsible for many of these deaths...but our invasion/occupation allowed every one of these deaths to occur.

That makes Bush/Cheney war criminals of the highest order.

[Altean Wanderer]

2. But O'Lielly claims ONLY 55,000 dead Iraqis

I guess that's an acceptable number to him, whereas 655,000 is getting too Hitleresque even for our fascist bully.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust'

Source: BBC

Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust'

By Owen Bennett-Jones
BBC World Service

The British government was advised against publicly criticising a report estimating that 655,000 Iraqis had died due to the war, the BBC has learnt.

Iraqi Health Ministry figures put the toll at less than 10% of the total in the survey, published in the Lancet.

But the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific adviser said the survey's methods were "close to best practice" and the study design was "robust".

Another expert agreed the method was "tried and tested".

...

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6495753.stm

[rocktivity]

4. Robust? are we counting the dead or tasting wine?

:eyes:
rocknation

[kath]

5. Robust is an appropriate word used to describe a scientific study.

saying that the results are robust means that the methods used to obtain them are sound.

[wtmusic]

6. Ok, the results were "hearty" and "flavorful". nt

[kskiska]

7. "Robust" seems to be the current buzzword

* and his minions use it constantly in various situations. Along with "slippery slope," it's getting on my nerves.

[endarkenment]

8. Study now outdated.

At the time it came out it implied a death rate of 400-600/day.

"If the Lancet survey is right, then 2.5% of the Iraqi population - an average of more than 500 people a day - have been killed since the start of the war."

If the study data is 6 months old that is 180 days or another 90,000 dead Iraqis. If we continue to occupy Iraq for antother two years, we will have around 360,000 more dead Iraqis to account for.

[Heidi]

9. Kick.

:kick:

[deadparrot]

10. BBC: British government advisers backed methodology behind contentious Iraq death toll study

Source: Associated Press

LONDON: British government officials backed the methodology used by scientists who concluded that more than 600,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

The government publicly rejected the findings, published in The Lancet medical journal in October. But the BBC said documents obtained under freedom of information legislation showed advisers concluded that the much-criticized study had used sound methods.

The Lancet study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the Al Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, estimated that 655,000 more Iraqis had died since March 2003 than one would expect without the war. The study estimated that 601,027 of those deaths were from violence.

The researchers, reflecting the inherent uncertainties in such extrapolations, said they were 95 percent certain that the real number lay somewhere between 392,979 and 942,636 deaths.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/26/europe/EU-GEN-Britain-Iraq-Death-Toll.php

[LynnTheDem]

11. The only "contentious" on the planet was the bush Cabal and their incredibly stupid

rightwingnut bushbots.

[rodeodance]

12. Bush said: "I don't consider it a credible report."....... (here)

........ 7.30pm
Ministers were told not to rubbish Iraq deaths study


Staff and agencies
Monday March 26, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Chief government advisers accepted as "robust" research that put the death toll from the Iraq war 10 times higher than any previous estimate, new documents have revealed.

The study, by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, prompted worldwide alarm when it was published in the Lancet medical journal in October last year.

It estimated that 655,000 Iraqis had died due to the violence in the country. It has now emerged chief advisers warned ministers not to "rubbish" the report.

At the time, both the British and US governments were quick to dismiss the peer reviewed study. The Foreign Office said it was based on a "fairly small sample ...extrapolated across the country". Iraqi government data was more likely to be accurate, it added.

The US was more blunt. President George Bush said: "I don't consider it a credible report.".......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2043417,00.html

[yava]

13. who's fault?

Why is it other people's fault if Shia and Sunni kill each other? The US can't be held responsible as the occupation authority under international regulations that were designed for the world before! :(

[truthisfreedom]

14. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[IndianaGreen]

15. The US is responsible for destroying Iraqi society, and all the deaths that followed

The US violated international law and committed crimes against peace when it invaded Iraq. Interesting that Pat Tillman's parents said their son thought the war in Iraq was criminal. I agree with them!

[sutz12]

19. Well, that settles it...

If Dubya says it's not credible, I have to believe that it isn't.

:sarcasm:

[IndianaGreen]

16. It was sad to see even some DUers parrot the White House line about the Lancet Report

that it wasn't credible, another example of Bush's "faith based" statistics.

[Theduckno2]

17. Bush was observed making extensive calculations... :)

...regarding the credibility of the Lancet Study. Having completed his calculations and while his shoes and socks were still removed, he decided to have a pedicure.

Nothing to see here and it much more important to know Brittany is out of rehab.

This story has always irritated me given its cavalier dismissal by the pillar of scientific intelligence himelf, George W Bush.

[ProudDad]

18. K&R

I love that: "Bush was observed making extensive calculations...regarding the credibility of the Lancet Study. Having completed his calculations and while his shoes and socks were still removed, he decided to have a pedicure."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

It's just too bad he didn't find a beer and a pretzel while he was down there counting his toes.

[JackRiddler]

20. kick