Iraqi government releases casualty figures (12,371 civilians were killed in 2006)

[Kadie]

Iraqi government releases casualty figures

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- More than 12,000 Iraqi civilians lost their lives in Iraq in 2006, according to figures released Monday by the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

The numbers clash with figures released in July by the United Nations, which said more than 14,000 civilians had been killed in the first half of the year alone.

The Iraqi government figures were compiled from reports from the Health, Interior and Defense ministries.

According to the Iraqi government figures, 12,371 civilians were killed in 2006 and another 15,143 were wounded. The government said that 1,224 police officers and 603 soldiers were killed in 2006. Another 2,113 police officer were wounded, the ministry said, along with 519 soldiers.

The ministry also said that 2,131 insurgents or members of other armed groups had been killed and 17,053 were wounded. (Posted 5:11 p.m.)

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/01/monday/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[Zodiak]

1. I do not believe those numbers

They look a little light in the "wounded" category for the good guys, and a little heavy for the bad guys .

Is this simply hostile combat action...or kidnapping/murder as well? Does this include those that die of "food insecurity", lack of health care, or poor water?

Since the country is in total chaos, the government cannot get its head out of its ass, and many dead bodies do not make it to morgues, I'll stick with the mortality-due-to-war methodology of the Lancet and Johns Hopkins. Any other number is an underestimate, and "some people say" even that conservative number is underestimated further by design to make the country look more stable than it is.

[Disturbed]

2. How many Iraqi "Civilians" were killed by the friendly

US/ Merc Forces? I am sure that we will never know.