3,709 Iraqi Civilians Killed In Oct., U.N. Says
It's the highest monthly toll since the March 2003 U.S. invasion. That's more than 100 people killed per day, often after being tortured.It’s the highest monthly toll since the March 2003 U.S. invasion. That’s more than 100 people killed per day, often after being tortured.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...AP:
The United Nations said Wednesday that 3,709 Iraqi civilians were killed in October, the highest monthly toll since the March 2003 U.S. invasion and another sign of the severity of Iraq’s sectarian bloodbath.
The U.N. tally was more than three times higher than the total the Associated Press had tabulated for the month, and far more than the 2,866 U.S. service members who have died during all of the war.
The report on civilian casualties, handed out at a U.N. news conference in Baghdad, said the influence of militias was growing, and torture continued to be rampant, despite the government’s vow to address human rights abuses.
“Hundreds of bodies continued to appear in different areas of Baghdad handcuffed, blindfolded and bearing signs of torture and execution-style killing,” the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq report said. “Many witnesses reported that perpetrators wear militia attire and even police or army uniforms.”
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
The Truthdig columnist and U.S. Army officer tells Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer that U.S. foreign policy since 9/11 makes us less safe.
The U.S. is focusing its energies—and warplanes—in areas of eastern Syria occupied by Islamic State.
There are so many wars and war rumors involving America these days that it's starting to feel a little unreal, even for the most devoted of news watchers.
The administration’s tally is at odds with those of leading nongovernmental organizations, and its lack of transparency makes it impossible for the public to assess its claims.
The administration’s tally is at odds with those of leading nongovernmental organizations, and its lack of transparency makes it impossible for the public to assess its claims.
"One of the deadliest strikes against civilians in Yemen's yearlong war involved U.S.-supplied weapons," Human Rights Watch says.
Obama faces criticism over civilian deaths caused by the drone program, which is being denounced as having little oversight, a mounting death toll and results that can be seen as war crimes.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.