Iraqi Death Toll

A new study indicates that approximately 24,865 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the two years since the end (?) of the Iraq War. If the figures by Iraq Body Count are accurate, the insurgency is responsible for 9 percent of the deaths. By contrast, U.S. occupation forces are to blame for 37 percent of the deaths.

The Guardian in London reports that appears to be changing.

"Civilian deaths attributed to US and coalition military forces peaked in the invasion period from March to May 2003 -- which accounts for 30 percent of all civilian deaths in the two-year period -- but the longer-term trend has been for increasing numbers to die at the hands of insurgents.

"Figures obtained last week from the Iraqi interior ministry put the average civilian and police officer death toll in insurgent attacks from August 2004 to March 2005 at 800 a month."

Maybe the figures are correct and maybe they aren't. We certainly won't know from Uncle Sam. The U.S. doesn't release such numbers.