Baghdad Morgue Revises August Death Toll Upward 300 Percent

[ProSense]

Baghdad Morgue Revises August Death Toll Upward 300 Percent

Last week, Pentagon spokesmen touted the success of Operation Forward Together, a push to improve security in Baghdad. They cited a significant decrease in the number of bodies the city morgue received as evidence the operation was working. The media picked up on it:

Last month, the Baghdad morgue received more than 1,800 bodies, a record high. This month, the morgue is on track to receive less than a quarter of that. … U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of military forces in Baghdad, attributed the capital’s declining violence to a sweep involving 8,000 U.S. soldiers and 3,000 Iraqi troops aimed at stopping sectarian violence.

It looks like they spoke too soon. According to the ABC News blog, the Baghdad morgue today revised its figures upward a whopping 300 percent:

It turns out the official toll of violent deaths in August was just revised upwards to 1535 from 550, tripling the total. Now, we’re depressingly used to hearing about deaths here, so much so that the numbers can be numbing. But this means that a much-publicized drop-off in violence in August - heralded by both the Iraqi government and the US military as a sign that a new security effort in Baghdad was working – apparently didn’t exist. <…> Violent deaths now appear roughly in line with the earlier trend: 1855 in July and 1595 in June.

President Bush said “the initial results” of the Baghdad opertation were encouraging.” The revised results paint a different picture.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/06/baghdad-morgue-revises-august-death-toll-upward-300-percent

[leftchick]

1. I saw ZERO Iraq news on TV today

bot that I watched a lot but I did try to catch the headlines. No Iraq! Is the war over? :grr:

[snowbear]

3. Nope.. that's why I always check this site out...

http://icasualties.org/oif/

I really appreciate the people who keep the info on that site updated.. It's the most up-to-date "round up" of news I can find anywhere else..

I'll bet most people don't even know how many troops have been killed this month so far.

[leftchick]

6. I go there first thing every morning

along with Juan Coles site.

[Botany]

2. I wish I could say something clever

.... but I can't.

I wish I could do something, but what? :cry:

All these dead people when is it going to stop?

I wish I did not have this feeling that "my government" caused all this shit
by their lies and actions and that Dick Cheney is just one of the vultures getting
fat from feeding on the dead.

Operation "Iraqi Freedom" :puke:

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. They are taking lessons from how US economic data is reported

[Igel]

5. Why?

Didn't they notice the bodies? Accounting error? They forgot to look behind Door #2? PR not going their way?

Very strange.

[beyurslf]

7. How does one forget to count 1000 dead bodies?

[lyonn]

8. Answer; Don't ask and don't tell

Apparently this news only gets out on the internet.

[JeffR]

9. Give or take... eom

[ProSense]

10. Rumsfeld and Iraqi official say Iraq is getting safer

Two weeks ago:
Rumsfeld and Iraqi official say Iraq is getting safer