Check out the CNN story:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/...edy/index.html

I'm especially intersted in this sentence:

"Daham is only one of an untold number of Iraqi civilians injured since the start of the war. There is no reliable count of the number killed, although the Web site www.iraqbodycount.com puts the number at as many as 25,000."

I checked out the site, and I can't find a claim anywhere as to whether or not the 2500 plus bodycount refers specifically to civilians, nor can I find any information as to how the numbers were gathered.

Any solid information would be appreciated[/url]

link edited

Sorry, the link to the CNN story isn't working. I'm no good at this stuff! Anyway, just log onto their website. The story is A Family's Tragedy in the fog of War.

http://www.iraqbodycount.net/

It's talking about civilians (reported killed by military intervention in Iraq). They include roadside bombings, car bombs, suicide bombs etc. They say they do not include trauma deaths by accidents. Strangely, though many of the deaths are directly from terrorist/insurgent weapons, the site says this:
As you can see, the U.S. and it's allies are responsible for every death "resulting from a breakdown of law and order." The terrorist are not held responsible, we are.

__________________
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves." ~Ronald Reagan

Thanks for the info! Guess I just didn't look hard enough. I thought the number sounded inflated, and so it is.

"This includes civilian deaths resulting from the breakdown in law and order, and deaths due to inadequate health care or sanitation."

Yes, this does seem to be a fairly problematic way of gathering statistical information, doesn't it? How can one objectively determine what deaths are due to a "breakdown of law and order" or "inadequate health care or sanitation" as linked to the current war? Using such broad criteria, gathering numbers on how many civilian lives the war has SAVED would be hardly more ambitious-- or impossible. Perhaps we can group the tens of thousands killed at the hands of Sadam's regime in the "breakdown of law and order" category.

I don't want to downplay the horrible cost of life in this or any other war, especially civilian life, but I am surprised at CNN for using such a clearly subjective source. Well okay, I'm not that surprised.