Counting the Dead Gets More Complicated in Iraq

Jassim Hatem, right, grieves as his son's coffin is taken for burial in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008. Ali Jassim, 21, was one of 23 people killed in a string of bombings that rocked Baghdad for the third consecutive day on Thursday. (Photo credit: Khalid Mohammed / AP)

Nov. 14, 2008

BAGHDAD — This much is agreed — a double bombing in Baghdad struck a school bus and those responding to the first blast. But the difference in casualty figures was stark. Iraqi officials said 31 people died; the U.S. military put the death toll at five.

The conflicting reports from Monday’s attack are emblematic of a spate of recent bombings that have raised fears of a resurgence in violence.

There have always been disagreements because accurately counting the dead in the chaos of Iraq’s war has never been easy. Yet discrepancies appear to be widening as the political stakes grow. …

John Pike, a military and security analyst who runs the respected Web site GlobalSecurity.org, said methodology and politics on both sides could be at play in the differing numbers.

He noted that followers of anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a rival of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, wield influence in the Health and Interior ministries.

“I could easily imagine that the U.S. government would want to get a low number, which would suggest that peace is at hand, and that al-Sadr might want a high number to suggest that maybe al-Maliki is not doing such a good job after all,” Pike said. “You could imagine both methodological and political explanations for the discrepancy.”

The issue came to the fore this week when a series of bombings targeting Shiite areas over three consecutive days rattled the growing sense of confidence among Iraqis about security gains.

• On Monday, the Interior Ministry said 27 people were killed in the bus attack. Police and hospital officials contacted by Associated Press staff put the death toll at 31, which would make it the deadliest blast in the capital in six weeks. The U.S. military, citing Iraqi army figures, said five were killed.
• On Tuesday, Iraqi police and hospital officials said three people died when twin blasts hit a newspaper delivery truck and nearby vendors. The U.S. military said 18 people were wounded, including three Iraqi policemen and 15 civilians.
• On Wednesday, Iraqi police and hospital officials said 23 people were killed in a series of bombings in mostly Shiite areas of the capital. The U.S. military said one civilian died and 46 were wounded in four separate attacks.

Iraq Body Count, an independent organization that tracks media reports as well as official figures, put the death tolls at 27 in Monday’s attack, four on Tuesday and 28 on Wednesday. …

An AP tally showed at least 26 deadly bombings in Baghdad this month, as of Wednesday, compared with 28 for all of October and 22 in September. At least 102 people were killed this month in the capital, compared with 95 for October and 96 in September, according to the AP count. …

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Security Developments in Iraq

Following are security developments in Iraq on Nov. 13, 2008, as reported by Reuters.

BAGHDAD – A roadside bomb wounded six people including four policemen when it struck a police patrol in central Baghdad, police said.

BAGHDAD – A bomb attached to a minibus killed a civilian and wounded seven others in central Baghdad as it pulled away from the central bus station, police said.

NEAR LATIFIYA – A roadside bomb killed a civilian and wounded two others when it struck a main road near Latifiya, 25 miles south of Baghdad, police said.

MOSUL – A parked car bomb wounded 16 people including five soldiers when it struck an army patrol in eastern Mosul, 240 miles, north of Baghdad.

RAMADI – A suicide car bomber killed four people including two policemen when he struck a police patrol in western Ramadi, 60 miles, west of Baghdad, Captain Ahmed al-Dulaimi of the Ramadi police force said.

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AFGHANISTAN UPDATE

South and Central Asia video

U.S. military convoy attacked (MSNBC, Nov. 13, 2008) — One U.S. soldier and numerous civilians are dead after a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. MSNBC.com’s Dara Brown reports. (00:46)