Body count in Najaf. US military brass resorts to old tricks.

[BJ]

According to Ap sources "U.S. Col. Anthony Haslam, chief of operations in Najaf, said 300 militants out of a total force of about 2,000 had been killed in Najaf since Thursday.

There was no independent confirmation of that number..."

Sound familiar?

Wrap yer mind 'round this:

RYAN: How prevalent was the practice of measure the BODY COUNT by the evidence of an ear? Was that a prevalent practice? As you went from the jungle school into the field, did you find that practice prevailing?

LAUGHLIN: My units never took up this practice, and I don't now how many did.

The fact that it was promulgated in jungle warfare school I think is indicative of the feeling at the time: Okay, yes, we can't put out official policy to cut off people's ears. Our unit was guilty of throwing dead bodies on our APCs until it came down as a policy that we couldn't throw dead bodies under the APCs and parade them through town any more. That was a policy that was stopped about 3/4's through my tour. But the severing of members, I never saw it, but I heard it. It was a definite, informal, unwritten policy.

RYAN: Was the BODY COUNT exaggeration of finding 197 when there was actually 13, was that typical of the way the count was reported in your experience?

LAUGHLIN: In my opinion it was. I think the body count was used as a measure of success in Vietnam, a measure of a general's, a commander's success. They made every opportunity to get the BC.(emphasis added)

RYAN: Thank you.

Vietnam War Crimes Hearings from the American War Library Web site

300 militants killed in fighting with U.S. Armed Forces in Najaf?

More than one of my Vietnam combat vet friends told stories of officers exaggerating the body count of enemy killed, especially after particularly nasty firefights.

Remember these are now some of the same guys running the Pentagon and the occupation of Iraq. So it's guaranteed that the figures of Iraqi "militants," "insurgents" and "terrorists" killed by American troops will inflate out of all proportion with reality. The "body count" is already being regurgitated by TeeVee newsreaders as a measure of American success in "bringing freedom to Iraq."

This bullshit's gotta cease.