Secrets of the morgue - Baghdad's body count

[donsu]

http://www.guerrillanews.com/headlines/4360/Secrets_of_the_morgue_Baghdad_s_body_count


Up to 20 per cent of the bodies are never identified, many of the dead have been tortured or disfigured




The Baghdad morgue is a fearful place of heat and stench and mourning, the cries of relatives echoing down the narrow, foetid laneway behind the pale-yellow brick medical centre where the authorities keep their computerised records. So many corpses are being brought to the mortuary that human remains are stacked on top of each other. Unidentified bodies must be buried within days for lack of space – but the municipality is so overwhelmed by the number of killings that it can no longer provide the vehicles and personnel to take the remains to cemeteries.

July was the bloodiest month in Baghdad’s modern history – in all, 1,100 bodies were brought to the city’s mortuary; executed for the most part, eviscerated, stabbed, bludgeoned, tortured to death. The figure is secret.

-snip-

“I consider this a quiet day,” one of the mortuary officials said to me as we stood close to the dead. So in just 36 hours – from dawn on Sunday to midday on Monday, 62 Baghdad civilians had been killed. No Western official, no Iraqi government minister, no civil servant, no press release from the authorities, no newspaper, mentioned this terrible statistic. The dead of Iraq – as they have from the beginning of our illegal invasion – were simply written out of the script. Officially they do not exist.

-snip-
-------------------------------


they exist for me. I mourn them. I am carrying their anger and my own toward the bloody hands bushgang.

why doesn't the rest of the world show mercy? oh, I forgot, they are busy watching Africians starve.

[snot]

1. I was also told by a VFP at Camp Casey that

US troops are dying in Iraq in numbers 2 to 3 times higher than the "official" count, because, he said, you're only counted if you die ON THE GROUND--if you're "medi-vac'd" out and die in the air or elsewhere, you're not counted as having died "in" Iraq.

I haven't had a chance to try to check this out. I would like verfication of all such claims before I repeat them elsewhere. However, if these claims can be confirmed, they need to be publicized.

[donsu]

2. yes, that is how the death is counted - this has been on DU many times

some reports have said our dead count is 9000 give or take.

the Iraqi count must be 200,000 by now.

and everybody in Iraq is sick, or will be sick; including our military.

[Karenina]

12. Round and around we go...

GO HERE for accurate info about the body count and explanation:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3688105

LynnTheDem May-19-05 06:43 PM
Original message
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count; NO we're NOT missing "thousands" of US dead

Pat and Michael run the ICCC; I believe many DUers are familiar with the site. I help with the research end of things.

So very often people post here and other boards about the US "hiding" hundreds or even thousands of US soldier's deaths.

That is NOT POSSIBLE. Here in Pat's own words is some of WHY that is not possible:

Question:

Is it possible the US military is hiding large numbers of US soldiers' deaths?

Answer:

In a word ... NO ... I do not believe such a discrepancy is even remotely possible. I hadn't seen the DKos diary, so went there just now and scanned through the diary and comments. It never ceases to amaze me what otherwise sensible people will fall for.

For two solid years now, Michael and I have followed the deaths in Iraq literally on a daily basis. We haunt the CENTCOM, MNF-Iraq and DOD websites ... as well as all of the major news feeds. In fact, the two of us have grown adept at finding death notices in the news media prior to the military issuing them. For about the past year and a half, Michael and I have been joined in the research by Evan D., an historian in the Washington D.C. area, and by Lynn L., another researcher whose husband is in the 4th ID. So that makes 4 of us searching the news media and the military sites, each and every day mind you, for deaths.

And after all this time, we all four of us concur. Yes, there are a few unreported deaths, which I'll explain in a minute. But not thousands. We'd have found them if there were.

Here's something that might interest you. If you go to our homepage, you'll notice a place up top that says "Fatality Details". Click on that. That'll take you to our fully searchable database.

When you get there, scroll down to the bottom of that page to where the Filters are. I'm finding that many people simply don't realize these handy, dandy little tools are there. Go over to the right to where it says "Country of Death" ... and select, say, "Germany" from the drop down list. Then hit the "Apply Filter" button over to the left.

Voila ... a list of 23 guys will appear ... all of whom died in Germany from wounds or illnesses incurred in Iraq ... all of whom have formal releases from the DOD and who are on the DOD's death list.

Now go back to the filters and hit "Remove Filter" so that you can start fresh. Go back to the "Country of Death" and select "USA", then hit "Apply Filter". There's 31 troops who died in the USA and whom the DOD has owned up to.

So there's no truth to the rumor that if you die outside of Iraq, the DOD automatically ignores you. Yes, occasionally it does ... especially if the death happens months after the soldier gets back from Iraq (Lynn's husband knows of 5 men that this applies to). And I am told that occasionally Special Forces deaths may be hush-hush. But as a rule, no. It's just a wild rumor.

And it's the same with this 7,000 business. If our list were missing thousands of names, can you imagine the e-mails we would get from enraged grannies, aunts, best friends, etc. for daring to leave their loved one OFF??? I shudder to think of it. I get called to task for every little goof-up I make as it is. I recently mistakenly entered a soldier's service branch as "U.S. Army National Guard" because that's what a news article said. Oh my ... the chaplain for the man's unit had an e-mail in to me within the HOUR complaining that it was U.S. ARMY RESERVES, dammit! And then there are the parents who write to say that the DOD published the wrong hometown, and would I please put the correct one in my database. We have thousands upon thousands of eyes out there watching that list. We aren't missing thousands of names.

The last thing to consider is this: the Bush administration isn't GOOD ENOUGH to hide that many deaths. They haven't managed to hide Halliburton's over-runs. They haven't managed to hide the troop equipment shortages. And they haven't managed to hide their own ineptness in the whole occupation. Somehow the truth has a way of seeping out between the cracks.

And me and Michael and Lynn and Evan watch those cracks like hawks.

Oh, dear ... didn't mean to write a diatribe. But this rumor is really starting to set my teeth on edge. I think I may send the above to Markos and see if he'll publish it ... at least let me get my very considered opinion in!

Thanks for the tip on the article. I hope I answered your question.

Pat K.
Researcher, ICCC


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3688105

The link to the site is here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4124026#4124087

[Pepper32]

14. Thanks for this link....

I will send this to Randi Rhodes to see if she will clear this up on her show. As she had some guy on there a week or two ago (military official, I believe) that stated the number of soldiers dead was higher than the official count because they don't include soldiers that die in transport etc. I'm going to listen to the show again once I find it here http://www.randirhodesarchives.com/ (hopefully)

On Edit: I just realized the site you mentioned is the same site I found I found earlier. (see post below)

However, the background info is very appreciated.

ICCC; Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
http://www.icasualties.org/oif /

[sunnystarr]

17. Thank you for the important work you're doing

and for clarifying this issue for me.

[snot]

19. Many thanks for this clarification. The truth's bad enough--

Sorry to make you repeat yourself; but sometimes it's difficult to find the real info around here for all the noise. I will keep a record of this.

[beyurslf]

3. pretty sure this was debunked on DU a while back.

Searched snopes.com and saw nothing though

[Pepper32]

4. Randi Rhodes said something similar to this also...

I have always had a feeling the count was higher. I wonder how we can get an accurate count of soldiers that have died in this blood thirsty * war?

On edit: Found a site they may be able to offer some insight into this...

The Wounded: US Military as reported after 4/3
http://icasualties.org/oif/

[donsu]

5. there was a site that wanted people to send in names of the dead

that they knew about, to start a count. it was in a DU thread maybe a mo. ago?

[Pepper32]

8. Great idea, I wonder if it's getting any responses yet?

I will see if I can locate the thread.

I think this should be a neighborhood to neighborhood effort, to get the names of the dead. So that everyone related to a soldier killed is able to respond.

[OneTwentyoNine]

7. All it would take is relatives of the dead not seeing their soldier...

On an official list of soldiers who died in the Iraq War. Its possible but you would think there would have been outcry over this already.

[Pepper32]

9. This is true, how would they have been able to keep the relatives quiet...

... for so long? Definitely something to think about. Perhaps many have not seen the official list? :shrug:

[Sam1]

6. This has been debunked

This has been debunked. I have tried to find the post and the blog this appeared at but couldn't. The thing is that if the deaths do not show up in Iraq that have to show up some place. They are not. There are people that watch for this sort of thing.

This is not something that could be kept undercover. There are alot of people involved in keeping the records and it would be leaked either for cause or inadvertently.

Then there would be the families who would be outraged over the fact that their son or daughter died in an accident at Ramstine (where most of the casualties go) rather then in Iraq where they were serving.

[Pepper32]

10. Welcome to DU

I would be interested in seeing the threads where this has been debunked, if you find them. Thanks!

:hi:

[mikelewis]

11. Actually, they probably could cover it up but why would they...

Isn't 1800+ deaths a big enough scandal when they result from deception and treachery?

These are also only the U.S. military deaths and do not account for the many mercenaries we currently employ in Iraq. That number may very well bring the total dead to 9,000 but no one counts them or cares that they even exist.

on edit:
Welcome to DU

[Pepper32]

13. Well, the justification I keep hearing over and over from people...

...that are not opposing this war, is that 1800+ dead is nothing compared to the amount that died during Vietnam and that this is war, so some deaths are expected. Crazy I know, however it seems many feel this way. So this would certainly be a reason for covering up the true count of dead soldiers. To keep those people thinking this way.

Personally, I don't get this type of thinking. One dead due to this unjust war is too many. IMO

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Sam1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Wizard777]

15. There could as many as 1 Million Iraqi's unaccounted for.

The preinvasion Population of Iraq according to the CIA factbook was in excess of 26 million. In a press conference with Bush and Alawi. They have cited Iraq'spopulation at 25 million. I understand that Bush is very lose with Facts and that is putting it mildly. After Bush has prevented the UN weapons inspectors from finishing their math. I think the least we could do is check his math or prepair for Operation Shock and Awe to be rerepresented as Operation Dud Firecracker. In the face of Genocide Charges. Of course it's really not that shocking or awe inspiring.

[Karenina]

16. And THAT is the REAL SCANDAL.

Everytime I see a reference to 100,000 Iraqi dead my teeth get set on edge. The U.S. MIC is committing GENOCIDE in Iraq.