85,000 Iraqis killed from 2004 - 2008

(AP)  At least 85,000 people lost their lives from 2004 to 2008 during Iraq's violent, sectarian uprising, according to the first official report by the Iraqi government on the death toll since the war began.

The report, released by the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry late Tuesday as part of a larger study on the country's human rights situation, said 85,694 people were killed from 2004-08, and 147,195 were wounded during the same period.

The Iraqi death toll has been a hotly disputed subject and critics on both sides of the political spectrum have accused the other side of manipulating the death numbers to sway public opinion.

As Iraq became increasingly violent following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, it also became increasingly difficult to independently track such figures on a wide scale.

The report was based on death certificates issued by the health ministry and constitutes the first official finding by a government ministry on the death toll since the war began in 2003.

Statistics for 2003 have been extremely difficult to obtain as there was no functioning Iraqi government during that time and the interim Iraqi government was not seated until mid-2004.

The report described the years that followed the U.S.-led invasion, which toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, as extremely violent years.

"Through the terrorist attacks like explosions, assassinations, kidnappings and forced displacements, the outlawed groups have created these terrible figures which represent a big challenge for the rule of law and for the Iraqi people," it said.

The report also breaks down some specific numbers, saying 1,279 children and 2,334 women were killed. It also puts the death toll of the university professors at 263, judges at 21, lawyers 95 and journalists at 269 — some of the professions which were specifically targeted as the country descended into chaos.

The toll also included 15,000 unidentified bodies who were not claimed by their families and are buried in special cemeteries.

[jayeats]

How bout 2003. Where the *&*^&^&*^ was this info back in the bush years they constantly suppressed this stuff.
Why is it ok now to discuss death tolls like this.
"W" Worst ever. I am going to lead a coalition to throw my shoes at the bush library when it opens. If you want to join me let me know here http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/jayeats/

[hungry1968-16]

by Marc_1986 October 14, 2009 12:11 PM EDT
@stinger1z

Most of these Iraqis were killed by their own kind. Suicide bombs account for more than half of these deaths. You're forgetting Saddam gassed hundreds of thousands of his own people as well.







If ONE INNOCENT PERSON died because of Bush's invasion, then it was one too many.

How atrocious that you try and absolve or exonerate Bush, by comparing him to Saddam Hussein!!!


"Well yeah, Bush killed 85,000, but how many did Saddam Hussein kill?"



That's like saying to a judge, "Yes your honor, I was speeding 20 MPH over the limit, but I saw a guy last week doing 25 MPH over the limit, so I'm innocent!!"

[sandy19731]

What matters is that this was a "pre-emptive" war. We didn't go over there to save Iraq citizens. We went over there to prevent them from attacking us, and they had not the means or the desire. Why don't we attack the North Koreans - they have both.

[pickaguitar1]

Thanks bush

[ClarkeGrissom]

The President of the US has no power to unilaterally wage war. If any of you liberal idiots knew anything about how the government operates you would know that, both legislative bodies, including all the Democrats, voted to not only give Pres. Bush the war powers, but continually funded the efforts. So ****. Would you be so smug if there were 100k afghans dead? Thats the 'right' war isn't it?

[fss2009]

You are an idiot and a disgrace to your country. Why are you even here?
Shouldn't you be somewhere in Afghanistan taking a shower?

[Jeromiaht]

you shut your dirty ***** mouth you!

[taryder]

Blame EVERYTHING ON BUSH......Obama continues the WARS & DEATHS after almost a year in office......with many, many of the GWB people STILL ONBOARD!....and now we have RECORDS numbers of poor people JOINING THE MILITARY......

Obviously, WAR IS NOT PEACE! Duh!!......obviously, we all KNOW now where ALL THE MONEY$$$$$ is going......Same as before!!!

[Jeromiaht]

You shut your dirty ***** mouth you!

[kenshiro2012]

Wow, all the Bush haters out there seemed to have overlooked one paragraph in the news story. "Through the terrorist attacks like explosions, assassinations, kidnappings and forced displacements, the outlawed groups have created these terrible figures which represent a big challenge for the rule of law and for the Iraqi people," it said." In other words, the death toll is mainly Iraqi on Iraqi and NOT the US forces. Let's get your facts straight before pointing the finger!

[zoopster1]

Most of those dead were at the hands of their own countrymen, not US forces.

I really hate that the Bush administration picked such a lame reason for going into Iraq (WMD's), when a perfectly good one already existed (the 1991 cease-fire was not a peace treaty, and was conditional on Iraq's cooperation, which they almost never gave). A lot of this could have been avoided if the conditions of the 1991 war were changed from "liberating Kuwait" to "unconditional surrender of all Iraqi forces, and the trial of Iraqi leaders for war crimes". That is what happens when you leave a war half-fought, and are willing to accept a conclusion short of total victory. Just ask the Koreans if they feel safe knowing that the armies that invaded their country are still waiting on the border, and the regime that launched the war of aggression upon them is still in charge.

[Jeromiaht]

85,000 DURKA'S down.