Iraq Group Starts Exhuming War Casualties

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030818/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_war_casualties&cid=540&ncid=1473

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Digging has started among the ruins of one of Saddam Hussein's palaces for casualties of the war, the Iraqi Red Crescent Society said Monday.

The nationwide campaign, which includes the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Iraqi legal and medical institutes, began earlier this month, said Qusai Ali al Mafraji, of the Iraqi Red Crescent.

"The whole campaign is about looking for the bodies of victims of the war," al Mafraji said. He said it was difficult to estimate how many Iraqis died during the war that toppled Saddam's regime.

So far, the remains of as many as 45 people, most in military uniform, have been recovered, al Mafraji said. "But in some cases there have been civilian casualties," he said. He could not say whether women and children were included.

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[QuietStorm]

1. These are FRESH mass graves?

Behind the Iraqi Invasion, not graves associated with Saddam's butchery?

[QuietStorm]

2. The number has increased since then as documented by the IBC

" The only major nationwide study was done by The Associated Press in May and June. Based on the records of about half of Iraq (news - web sites)'s hospitals, it documented 3,240 deaths between March 20 and April 20, but reported that the real number is sure to be significantly higher. "

the IBC, which has come under attack for duplicating death number (which they might have done at the beginning of their campaign, and have since rectified that inaccuracy), works with Iraq hospitals, etc to get their count. The IBC was a project begun for the specific reason that enemy body counts generally are not accounted for with accuracy.

http://www.iraqbodycount.net/