Comments on: Iraq http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/19/374 Every day the Prime Minister's Spokesman meets a small coterie of political journalists known as 'the lobby' for a topical chat, or 'briefing'. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:45:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Chris Lightfoot http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/19/374#comment-531 Chris Lightfoot Sat, 20 Mar 2004 12:24:16 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/19/374#comment-531 Well, there's the Iraq Body Count, <a href="http://www.iraqbodycount.net/">http://www.iraqbodycount.net/</a> which estimates the number of civilian deaths as lying between 8,769 and 10,618. However, there are serious concerns over IBC's methodology, elaborated for instance in this piece by Oliver Kamm, "Pilger: truth and lies in the war on terror", <a href="http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/pilger_truth_an.html">http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/pilger_truth_an.html</a> and his follow-up piece, More truth and lies in the war on terror: <a href="http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/more_truth_and_.html">http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/more_truth_and_.html</a> An alternative methodology (also susceptible to legitimate criticism) gives a similar estimate: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/World/iraq030528_casualties.html">http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/World/iraq030528_casualties.html</a> -- this one was conducted by a door-to-door survey, apparently; there are any number of potential problems with that method, but if done properly, it ought to be possible to get some good data. Worth waiting, perhaps, until there are good polling organisations in Iraq. I haven't seen any study which looks to me well-enough conducted to use for an estimate of the number of civilian casualties, though that may be because I haven't looked very hard. Well, there’s the Iraq Body Count, <a href="http://www.iraqbodycount.net/">http://www.iraqbodycount.net/</a> which estimates the number of civilian deaths as lying between 8,769 and 10,618. However, there are serious concerns over IBC’s methodology, elaborated for instance in this piece by Oliver Kamm, "Pilger: truth and lies in the war on terror",
<a href="http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/pilger_truth_an.html">http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/pilger_truth_an.html</a>
and his follow-up piece, More truth and lies in the war on terror:
<a href="http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/more_truth_and_.html">http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2003/09/more_truth_and_.html</a>

An alternative methodology (also susceptible to legitimate criticism) gives a similar estimate:
<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/World/iraq030528_casualties.html">http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/World/iraq030528_casualties.html</a>
– this one was conducted by a door-to-door survey, apparently; there are any number of potential problems with that method, but if done properly, it ought to be possible to get some good data. Worth waiting, perhaps, until there are good polling organisations in Iraq.

I haven’t seen any study which looks to me well-enough conducted to use for an estimate of the number of civilian casualties, though that may be because I haven’t looked very hard.

]]> By: Uncarved Block http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/19/374#comment-517 Uncarved Block Fri, 19 Mar 2004 16:50:52 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/19/374#comment-517 The important statistic that still seems to be missing - how many Iraqi civillians have been killed by the US/UK forces? (and are still being killed) Its difficult to improve someone's life if you have just ended it. The important statistic that still seems to be missing - how many Iraqi civillians have been killed by the US/UK forces? (and are still being killed)

Its difficult to improve someone’s life if you have just ended it.

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