You Have Our Condolences

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Getting accurate body counts from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is such a tricky thing.

Two weeks ago, a U.S. airstrike was first reported to have killed 80-90 Afghan civilians (Afghan Leader Assails Airstrike that he Says Killed 95); the number was later downgraded by the Pentagon to maybe five, contradicting the initial United Nations and Afghan reports.

In a crude effort to get a ballpark figure on the number of killed civilians in Iraq, Ranger looked at the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP), a military initiative which has so far spent at least $2.8 billion in U.S. funds over the past five years. In its regulating field manual -- Money as a Weapon System -- a portion of the funds are to be used to compensate families who have lost members, or amputees. $500 is paid for the loss of a leg or an arm; "up to" $2,500 for a death (Money As a Weapon.)

The New York Times reported, "So far, nearly $50 million in condolence payments has gone to the families of killed and injured Iraqis." Now, even using the full $2,500, dividing that into the $50 Million disbursed thus far gives a figure of 20,000 dead Iraqi civilians. (This seems a reasonable figure, allowing for the amputee payments, as well as the deaths which did not earn the full $2,500 payout.)

Since the U.S. won't publish the figures of Iraqis killed by U.S. forces, then let us just use the 20,000 figure. If we paid for them, they must be dead. And since this is Saturday, we must be in Baghdad.