85,000 Iraqis killed from 2004 - 2008

Iraqi Government Report Based on Death Certificates Issued by Health Ministry

(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

[liberalornot]

You notice the story states that terrorist commited these crimes. But who are the Democrats mad at? A United Nations report stated that Saddam Hussein probably killed between one and two Million people in his 30 year reign of Genocide in IRAQ. Not one Democrat alive ever got angry about it. The North Korean President starved 3 million people to support his military efforts to build an Atomic Bomb. Not one Democrat alive ever got angry about it. The President of IRAN has killed thousands of political prisoners and supports terrorist genocide all over the world. Not one Democrat alive ever got angry about it. But, The American President George Bush called these three countries an AXIS OF EVIL and Democrats went out of their MINDS with Hate and Anger. The Terrorists who commit these genocidal murders are defended by Democrats as innocent victims who, like Democrats, Hate Bush and America. CBS (Communist Broadcast System) produces these stories to give the Democrats another reason to vent their anger at American and their Endless Hate for George Bush instead of talking about our real problems like Trillion Dollar OBAMACARE and the Democrats Socialist Agenda for America.

[Marc_1986]

@liberalornot

Excellent point! Not to mention Clinton just stood by and watched in 1994 when an estimated 1 million Rwandans were slaughtered. The WH and UN did nothing about it!

Incoming 'we are not the police of the world' posts by liberals.

[Ms_enza]

by Marc_1986 October 14, 2009 1:30 PM EDT
@liberalornot
...
Incoming 'we are not the police of the world' posts by liberals.

======================

Oh no, Marc. Not at all. Probably one of the most reprehensible periods in our history; right after the slaughter of 30,000,000 Native Americans, the imprisonment of 500,000 Japanese-Americans, the enslaving of 4,000,000 Africans; the deaths of another 1,000,000 or so "in shipment", and the needless deaths of 1,600,000 Vietnamese.

By comparison letting 1,000,000 Rwandans die while we didn't raise a finger isn't so bad. On the other hand, it's hard to compare to Bush's commitment of, oooooh, $15,000,000 for the tsunami victims...

[Biggest_Rick]

And how many Iraqi's now no longer live in a country ruled by a despot with a pair of psycho sons? And what happened to the 1/2 million dead Iraqi's claimed by many notable liberals when they were making numbers up to bash Bush? And what is happening now as the surge ordered by Bush has stabilized the country enough for the Iraqi government to now be working on its own problems? It is tragic that 85000 people have been killed as the country stabilized, but what would the number of been if we had cut and run as many Democrats suggested? I would guess it would have been much higher! One other little fact, when US troops do leave in a year or so, it was due to an agreement already signed by hte Bush administration. Mr. Obama will not have had really anything to do with what was already pre-ordained. Furthermore 2 million divided by 30 years equals over 66000 a year kiled by Saddam. If you multiply that by 4 you get 264000, which means that over the same four year period 179000 fewer Iraqi's are dead than would have been had Saddam remained in power! On a human toll alone, Iraq is much better off thanks to the war that freed them.

[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.

[bubbadubba]

Did GW Bush sign those death certificates or maybe Cheney?

[Ms_enza]

At least 85,000 people lost their lives from 2004 to 2008...

AT LEAST.

Probably much, much more.

But we're getting better; we killed 1.6 MILLION Vietnamese civilians.

[Jeromiaht]

LAWL

[Marc_1986]

@ms_enza

These Iraqis were killed by their own suicide bombers.

[Ms_enza]

by Marc_1986 October 14, 2009 12:12 PM EDT

Oh yeah Marc. Sure. And most of those 5000 civilians killed in Shock & Awe were killed by Iraqis too.

The Germans carpet bombed London in 1940 and killed 365 civilians per day.

Shock & Awe used precision weapons and killed 385 civilians per day.

What can shame a nation that BOMBS a city with 1000 kg aerial bombs?

Damned little because they are populated by those like Marc.

[doc_holliday76]

"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."
--------------------------------





I'll bet that all those killed and wounded are very happy that the busheviks invaded and occupied Iraq, supposedly looking for fantasy WMD and the non-existent al-Qaeda, when the truth was that the PNAC neoconservitards were merely looking for a cheaper energy source!

[truth-b-toll]

No comments?
GOP this is Blood on your hands.
GW Bush MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

[USMC-Mom]

It does't say killed by American troops.

[stinger1z]

Congrats Bush! You're decisions led to over 85,000 deaths in Iraq, and your ignorance and stupidity led to over 1,000 deaths in New Orleans and 3,000 deaths on 9/11. I hope this burden never comes off your soul.

[Marc_1986]

@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.

[Ms_enza]

by Marc_1986 October 14, 2009 12:11 PM EDT

Yeah, but the total's too small by a half.

[Marc_1986]

@Ms_enza

But still drops in the bucket compared to what Saddam was doing.

What about Truman dropping 2 nukes on innocents in Japan?

[lmartink]

Bushie's greates legacy for humanity. How horrible, and unnecesary.

[sandy19731]

Marc:
Sadaam killed at most 5,000 by gas and may have injured another 10,000. So, I don't know where you get your figures of hundred of thousands. But, you may want to check Wikipedia.