85,000 Iraqis killed from 2004 - 2008
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.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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.
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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/
@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!!"
Shouldn't you be somewhere in Afghanistan taking a shower?
Obviously, WAR IS NOT PEACE! Duh!!......obviously, we all KNOW now where ALL THE MONEY$$$$$ is going......Same as before!!!
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.