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May 31, 2006

Everything is On the Rise in Iraq

Iraq war apologists are bringing out an old argument to try to allay concerns about the war. They're saying that "Iraq is less violent that Washington, DC." Supposedly, it is also less violent than Detroit, Baltimore, Atlanta, and St. Louis. The whole point is that things are all hunky-dory over there and we should quit worrying about all the violence we are reading about in the newspapers. Those daily car bombings? No big deal.

I'm not the only one who doubts the statistics that form the basis of these statements in the first place. But even if they are correct, it's important to note that the murder rate in Islamic countries is traditionally far lower than in the West, and the death rates being cited are only those caused by Coalition forces. Civilians are dying at a much higher rate today than they did when Saddam Hussein was in control of Iraq. But don't just take my word for it. A team of senior British academics last year said Iraqi civilian deaths had "spiraled upwards."

Data collected by Iraq Body Count - an independent organization set up to monitor the human cost of the war - also revealed the number of violent incidents has soared during the past 12 months.

"Violent incidents" - that means violent crimes in addition to murders.

They criticize the U.S. and British governments for failing to track civilian deaths while painstakingly logging their own dead and wounded, creating a distorted picture of the human cost of the war.

The war has resulted in a dramatic increase in suffering for the Iraqi people that is largely being ignored by media outlets such as Fox News:

Malnutrition rates in children under five have almost doubled since the US-led invasion - to nearly 8% by the end of last year.
Sectarian tensions are on the rise.
Acid attacks on immodest women are on the rise.
The Christian murder rate is on the rise.
Militias are on the rise.
Kidnapping is on the rise.
Killings and expulsions are on the rise.
Tuberculosis is on the rise.
Drug abuse is on the rise.
Rape is on the rise.
"Temporary marriages" (legalized Islamic prostitution) are on the rise.

Can the Administration just for once stop the bullshit here? You broke it – it's time to own up to it.

Posted by Becky at May 31, 2006 11:48 AM

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