The Russian numbers are actually the original statement by the S. Ossetians on the very first day of the conflict.
--- On Wed, 8/20/08, John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> From: John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Sad Leninism.
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 3:23 PM
> I realized right after I sent this I should have grabbed the
> link.
> I simply Googled "Red Cross South Ossetia estimated
> deaths" and this was
> one the pages that came up.
> Having seen the pictures from Tskhinvali I don't see
> how the toll could
> be less than 1000.
> Any reported numbers much below 800 are immediately as
> suspect as
> anything much above 1500 in my opinion.
> Everybody lies during a military conflict.
>
> John Thornton
>
>
>
>
>
> Gar Lipow wrote:
> >> The Red Cross says independent observers have
> confirmed at least 1600 dead
> >> civilians in South Ossetia.
> >>
> >> John Thornton
> >>
> >
> >
> > Can you provide a link please.
> >
> > Because what I'm seeing from the Red Cross are
> complaints that they
> > can't access South Ossetia.
> >
> >
> http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=94517709-8236-4cb5-a8f2-0b251b50405b
> >
> > I'm also seeing that Russia seems to have lowered
> its estimates:
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7572635.stm
> >
> > I'm sure the 44 estimate is too low. But if the
> 1,600 number proves to
> > be off by around a factor of ten that really does
> justify the term
> > "dispoportionate" as a description of what
> Moscow did. Given U.S.
> > actions in Iraq and Afghanistan (just to mention the
> most recent U.S.
> > invasions) we are in no position to criticize. But we
> don't have to
> > excuse or be too ready to accept Russian numbers
> without questioning
> > them either.
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> >
> >
>
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