>The Post's decision to headline the Iraqi interior minister's claims
on civilian casualties is ... interesting. Again, it doesn't look like
the minister gave reporters a look at actual data. Meanwhile, though
the WP doesn't mention it, last year Knight Ridder got hold of some
Iraqi government stats showing that during a six-month period more
Iraqis had been killed by U.S. forces than by insurgents. The Post
isn't exactly clear on whether the purported 12,000 civilians cited by
the minister were killed by insurgents or just during the course of
the insurgency. Thankfully, the Post's reporters weren't the only ones
in on the chat; the Associated Press and NY [TIMES] were also there.
They say he was referring to total casualties. Not that either outlet
sees the claims as particularly credible anyway. Both wisely decide
that the casualty claim isn't fit to headline. The LA [TIMES] also met
with the minister, but there's no mention of his casualty figure. <
--
Jim Devine
"Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way
and let people talk.) -- Karl M., paraphrasing Dante A.