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Poll: Civilian Death Toll in Iraq May Top 1 Million
A British survey offers the highest estimate to date. At least 4
die in a Sadr City car bombing.
By Tina Susman
09/14/07 "LA
Times" -- -- BAGHDAD - A car bomb blew up in the
capital’s Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Sadr City on Thursday,
killing at least four people, as a new survey suggested that the
civilian death toll from the war could be more than 1 million.
The figure from ORB, a British polling agency that has conducted
several surveys in Iraq, followed statements this week from the
U.S. military defending itself against accusations it was trying
to play down Iraqi deaths to make its strategy appear
successful.
The military has said civilian deaths from sectarian violence
have fallen more than 55% since President Bush sent an
additional 28,500 troops to Iraq this year, but it does not
provide specific numbers.
According to the ORB poll, a survey of 1,461 adults suggested
that the total number slain during more than four years of war
was more than 1.2 million.
ORB said it drew its conclusion from responses to the question
about those living under one roof: “How many members of your
household, if any, have died as a result of the conflict in Iraq
since 2003?”
Based on Iraq’s estimated number of households — 4,050,597 — it
said the 1.2 million figure was reasonable.
There was no way to verify the number, because the government
does not provide a full count of civilian deaths. Neither does
the U.S. military.
Both, however, say that independent organizations greatly
exaggerate estimates of civilian casualties.
ORB said its poll had a margin of error of 2.4%. According to
its findings, nearly one in two households in Baghdad had lost
at least one member to war- related violence, and 22% of
households nationwide had suffered at least one death. It said
48% of the victims were shot to death and 20% died as a result
of car bombs, with other explosions and military bombardments
blamed for most of the other fatalities.
The survey was conducted last month.
It was the highest estimate given so far of civilian deaths in
Iraq. Last year, a study in the medical journal Lancet put the
number at 654,965, which Iraq’s government has dismissed as
“ridiculous.”
The car bomb in Sadr City injured at least 10 people and set
fire to several shops. Also Thursday, police said they had found
the bodies of nine people believed to be victims of sectarian
killings across the capital.
In its latest salvo at Iran, the U.S. military accused the
Islamic Republic of providing the 240-millimeter rocket that
earlier this week slammed into Camp Victory, the sprawling base
that houses the U.S. Army headquarters. The attack on the base
near Baghdad’s airport injured 11 soldiers and killed one
“third-country national.”
At a news conference, a military spokesman, Army Brig. Gen.
Kevin Bergner, displayed a chunk of metal that he said had come
from the rocket. Asked how he could be sure it was of Iranian
origin, Bergner said its color and markings were unique to
rockets from Iran.
The United States accuses Iran’s Shiite leaders of providing
weapons, training and other assistance to Shiite militias
fighting U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran denies the accusation.
© 2007 Los Angeles Times
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