Deaths in Iraq
Finally, some fairly serious attention to the question: how many Iraqis have died as a direct result of the U.S. invasion?
Unfortunately, the big, high-profile study showing 100,000 deaths is probably bogus; the authors are unable to say what the best estimate is, other than to say it is between 8,000 and 194,000. 98,000 is simply the half-way point. Say what?
So, Fred Kaplan says on Slate, the best estimate is probably more like 15,000--based on media reports. This number may be low, but it is unlikely that a huge number of people would go missing with no report at all.
Combine this with the complete lack of a "refugee" problem with people fleeing Iraq--as was predicted by the same people predicting a quagmire--and things don't look so bad.
The question that is missing from all recent accounts I've seen--but which has attracted curious minds before--is: how does this compare to life under Saddam? How many were slaughtered, imprisoned, tortured, especially after 1993? How many (especially children) died as a direct result of the sanctions?
This is all relevant. Some people have no doubt been killed as a direct result of U.S. actions who would not otherwise be killed. But if a significant number were starved or sent to an early death by Saddam, this makes a meaningful comparison, as well as bearing on the morality of the war. All indications are that food was generally in short supply, except for the elite, under Saddam. Now, even in some bizarre ways like bananas from South America, there is food--and cash--everywhere, at least in Baghdad.
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