John Tirman is Executive Director of MIT's Center for International Studies <http://web.mit.edu/CIS/> .
http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=81749 Iraq's Shocking Human Toll: About 1 Million Killed, 4.5 Million Displaced, 1-2 Million Widows, 5 Million Orphans By John Tirman <http://www.alternet.org/authors/3083/> , The Nation <http://www.thenation.com> . Posted February 2, 2009 <http://www.alternet.org/ts/archives/?date%5bF%5d=02&date%5bY%5d=2009&date%5 bd%5d=02&act=Go/> . Now that Bush is gone, perhaps we can honestly face the damage we have wrought and the responsibilities we must accept from it. We are now able to estimate the number of Iraqis who have died in the war instigated by the Bush administration. Looking at the empirical evidence of Bush's war legacy will put his claims of victory in perspective. Of course, even by his standards -- "stability" -- the jury is out. Most independent analysts would say it's too soon to judge the political outcome. Nearly six years after the invasion, the country remains riven by sectarian politics and major unresolved issues, like the status of Kirkuk. We have a better grasp of the human costs of the war. For example, the United Nations estimates that there are about 4.5 million displaced Iraqis -- more than half of them refugees -- or about one in every six citizens. Only 5 percent have chosen to return to their homes over the past year, a period of reduced violence from the high levels of 2005-07. The availability of healthcare, clean water, functioning schools, jobs and so forth remains elusive. According to Unicef, many provinces report that less than 40 percent of households have access to clean water. More than 40 percent of children in Basra, and more than 70 percent in Baghdad, cannot attend school. The mortality caused by the war is also high. Several household surveys were conducted between 2004 and 2007. While there are differences among them, the range suggests a congruence of estimates. But none have been conducted for eighteen months, and the two most reliable surveys were completed in mid-2006. The higher of those found 650,000 "excess deaths" (mortality attributable to war); the other yielded 400,000. The war remained ferocious for twelve to fifteen months after those surveys were finished and then began to subside. Iraq Body Count, a London NGO that uses English-language press reports from Iraq to count civilian deaths, provides a means to update the 2006 estimates. While it is known to be an undercount, because press reports are incomplete and Baghdad-centric, IBC nonetheless provides useful trends, which are striking. Its estimates are nearing 100,000, more than double its June 2006 figure of 45,000. (It does not count nonviolent excess deaths -- from health emergencies, for example -- or insurgent deaths.) If this is an acceptable marker, a plausible estimate of total deaths can be calculated by doubling the totals of the 2006 household surveys, which used a much more reliable and sophisticated method for estimates that draws on long experience in epidemiology. So we have, at present, between 800,000 and 1.3 million "excess deaths" as we approach the six-year anniversary of this war. This gruesome figure makes sense when reading of claims by Iraqi officials that there are 1-2 million war widows and 5 million orphans. This constitutes direct empirical evidence of total excess mortality and indirect, though confirming, evidence of the displaced and the bereaved and of general insecurity. The overall figures are stunning: 4.5 million displaced, 1-2 million widows, 5 million orphans, about 1 million dead -- in one way or another, affecting nearly one in two Iraqis. By any sensible measure, it would be difficult to describe this as a victory of any kind. It speaks volumes about the repair work we must do for Iraqis, and it should caution us against the savage wars we are prone to. Now that Bush is gone, perhaps the United States can honestly face the damage we have wrought and the responsibilities we must accept from it. <http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/123818 &title=Iraq's%20Shocking%20Human%20Toll:%20About%201%20Million%20Killed,%204 .5%20Million%20Displaced,%201-2%20Million%20Widows,%205%20Million%20Orphans& topic=politics> Digg! See more stories tagged with: iraq <http://www.alternet.org/tags/iraq/> , iraq war <http://www.alternet.org/tags/iraq%20war/> , bush administration <http://www.alternet.org/tags/bush%20administration/> , iraq occupation <http://www.alternet.org/tags/iraq%20occupation/> , united nations <http://www.alternet.org/tags/united%20nations/> , iraqi refugees <http://www.alternet.org/tags/iraqi%20refugees/> , iraq body count <http://www.alternet.org/tags/iraq%20body%20count/> John Tirman is Executive Director of MIT's Center for International Studies <http://web.mit.edu/CIS/> . Also in War on Iraq <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/> Why <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/125563/why_military_responses_to_terror_a ttacks_are_always_doomed_to_fail/> Military Responses to Terror Attacks Are Always Doomed to Fail Deepak Chopra, Ken Robinson No <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/125484/no_unemployment_among_iraqi_graved iggers/> Unemployment Among Iraqi Gravediggers Dahr Jamail Iraq <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/125483/iraq_election_results_point_to_a_b ig_win_for_maliki/> Election Results Point to a Big Win for Maliki Patrick Cockburn Woman <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/125371/woman_who_recruited_female_suicide _bombers_arrested/> Who Recruited Female Suicide Bombers Arrested Deborah Haynes Maliki <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/124871/maliki_leads_in_iraqi_election%3A_ voters_see_party_as_%27most_expedient_way_to_end_the_occupation%27/> Leads in Iraqi Election: Voters See Party as 'Most Expedient Way to End the Occupation' Amy Goodman Iraq <http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/124648/iraq_government_hit_by_graft%3A_4% 2C000_forged_university_degrees_uncovered/> Government Hit by Graft: 4,000 Forged University Degrees Uncovered Hadeel al-Jawari More stories by John Tirman <http://www.alternet.org/authors/3083> *** exposing the hidden truth for further educational research only *** CAVEAT LECTOR *** In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. NOTE: Some links may require cut and paste into your Internet Browser. Please check <http://tinyurl.com/33c9yr> http://tinyurl.com/33c9yr <http://groups.google.com/group/total_truth_sciences/topics?gvc=2> http://groups.google.com/group/total_truth_sciences/topics?gvc=2 for more real news posts and support the truth! (sorry but don't have time to email all posts) free book download: <http://www.lulu.com/content/165077> http://www.lulu.com/content/165077 or http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_63/165000/165077/21/print/165077.pdf <http://blogs.albawaba.com/alexanderjames> http://blogs.albawaba.com/alexanderjames http://blogs.albawaba.com/Alexanderjames/page/links http://bb.domaindlx.com/alexjames999 *** Revealing the hidden Truth For Educational & Further Research Purposes only. *** Welcome to Real News Edited excerpts, non-partisan, pro-truth-honesty-peace, and anti-war-lies-crime. The purpose is to expose corruptions, frauds, deceptions, lies, criminal plans, cover-ups and free-speech silencing by powerful people in governments, foundations, corporations and media, which are done using the name of democracy, human rights, false interpretations of religions, cults, occults, patriotism, economy, business, media, elections, justice, charity, etc., and are used to trick the public into hatred & wars and out of their lives, money and freedoms, while the propaganda we are subjected to makes us believe that we have evolved to where such things cannot happen [remember slavery, apartheid.]. Please share what you learn with others who do not have access to the internet. This is only a tip of the iceberg. Stop the hatred that is used to promote the dehumanization of the victims of predatory aggressions;spread the truth;free your mind from being a Zioncon occupied territory of the neo-feudal lords by rejecting the mainstream news propaganda. Caution: real news may induce a kind of schizophrenia because it provides a true vision of reality which is so different from the one we are presented by the mass media spins. Latest real infonews available at alternate news. ***** Check whatreallyhappened.com, inforwars.com, whtt.org, savethemales.ca & other alternative news sites for latest news flashes. In Truth We Trust! The opinions expressed herein contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of the recipient, disseminator or others mentioned in the information. These are offered as a means to stimulate dialogue and discussion. NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency (NSA) may have read emails without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse, nor protection.......... IF anyone other than the addressee of this e-mail is reading it, you are in violation of the 1st & 4th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Patriot Act 5 & H.R. 1955 Disclaimer Notice: This post & all my past & future posts represent parody & satire & are all intended for entertainment and amusement only. To be removed from the list, please reply with the subject line "REMOVE" To receive email at another address, please reply with subject line "CHANGE" To receive email, please reply with "WEEKLY" --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "total_truth_sciences" group. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/total_truth_sciences -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
<<inline: image001.gif>>
