In a
new article for the Guardian newspaper, Scott Ritter speaks out about the estimated 100,000 Iraqi deaths reported in
The Lancet. Very simply, he asks this:
"More than 100,000 Iraqis have died - and where is our shame and rage?" Ritter also has some harsh words for Hans Blix and thinks Blix should have done more to prevent the war.
Regarding the estimated deaths, Ritter cites the swift reaction of the coalition of the willing:
The US and British governments quickly moved to cast doubt on the Lancet medical journal findings, citing other studies. These mainly media-based reports put the number of Iraqi civilian deaths at about 15,000 - although the basis for such an endorsement is unclear, since neither the US nor the UK admits to collecting data on Iraqi civilian casualties.
But, guess what? It turns out that none other than Colin Powell has secretly been collecting casualty figures.
According to an
expert who spoke to the Independent newspaper:
"Despite the claim of the head of US Central Command at the time, General Tommy Franks, that 'We don't do body counts', the US military does collect casualty figures in Iraq," said Professor Richard Garfield, an expert on the effects of conflict on civilians. "But since 1991, when Colin Powell was head of the joint chiefs of staff, the figures have been kept secret."
Professor Garfield, who lectures at Columbia University in New York and the London School of Hygiene and Public Health, believes the Pentagon's stance has confused its response to the latest study. "The military is saying: 'We don't believe it, but because we don't collect figures, we can't comment," he said.
"Mr Powell decided to keep the figures secret because of the controversy over body counts in Vietnam, but I think democracies need this information."
Unfortunately, this may not make the news cycle in the US before the election since these articles are both from British newspapers, but I put my faith in my fellow kossacks to get the word out quickly to the US news organizations. Have at it.