Agence France Presse December 12, 2005
Bush says 30,000 Iraqis killed in war
US President George W. Bush said about 30,000 Iraqis have been killed since the March 2003 invasion, acknowledging for the first time the extent of Iraqi casualties.
Bush was asked after a speech here on progress in Iraq how many Iraqis -- civilians, security forces and insurgents -- have been killed since US forces invaded the country.
Bush paused before answering.
"How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war?" he asked.
"I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops," he said.
It was believed to be the first time Bush has publicly estimated the number of Iraqi casualties, a figure that US and military officials have suggested in are not tracked with precision.
Bush's estimate was not far off unofficial estimates drawn largely from US and Iraqi press reports and posted on Internet websites.
One such website, Iraq Body Count, estimates that between 27,000 and nearly 31,000 civilians have been killed since the war began.
John Pike, who runs GlobalSecurity.Org, said Bush's estimate was the highest he had heard from a US official, and the first time the president has gone public with an estimate.
He saw it as an acknowledgement by Bush of responsibility for the human cost of the war three days before Iraqis go to the polls to elect a national assembly that will form a permanent government.
"It's an acknowledgement he understands the human suffering that comes as a result of his decisions," Pike said.
"I think that's a good thing," he added. "One of the problems with Bush's leadership style is his unwillingness to accept responsibility."
Following a policy begun in the 1991 Gulf War, the US military has insisted it would not "do body counts" of Iraqi dead. But in recent months military commanders have highlighted insurgent deaths in combat as well as Iraqi security forces.
© Copyright 2005, Agence France Presse
