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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
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December 1st,
2009 - Iraq Reports Drop in Civilian Deaths in November |
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Iraq Reports Drop in Civilian
Deaths in November By Brian Murphy Associated Press December 1, 2009 Baghdad - Fewer than 90
civilians were killed in violence in November in one of the lowest monthly
death tolls in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, officials said
Monday. According to figures
compiled from various Iraqi ministries, a total of 88 Iraqi civilians were
killed in violence last month. This compares with more than 300 killed in
October, which included a major bombing in Baghdad that claimed at least 155
lives. The Iraqi tally - which
includes reports from the Interior, Defense and Health ministries - also
showed a total of 32 members of Iraqi security forces were killed in November
for a total of 122 civilian and security deaths. The officials from the
ministries spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized
to give the information to media. A count by The Associated
Press lists at least 90 deaths among Iraqi civilians and security forces. The
AP toll is based on reports from government officials, hospitals and other
sources. The AP count for November is
the second-lowest since it began to track casualty figures in April 2005. Violence from insurgent
attacks and sectarian clashes has been down sharply this year, but at least
two large-scale bombings have hit central Baghdad since August. U.S.
commanders plan to end combat operations on Aug. 31 and withdraw all forces
by the end of 2011. But there are worries that
the Pentagon's timetables for the coming months could be disrupted by Iraqi
political feuds over parliamentary elections planned for January. Iraqi Vice President Tariq
al-Hashemi has vetoed an election law because he wants more seats for Iraqis
abroad - most of whom are members of Iraq's Sunni minority. A failure to
reach a compromise could delay the election. Al-Hashemi spoke by
telephone on Saturday with Vice President Joe Biden, who urged Iraqi leaders
to seek a solution to the political impasse. But in a statement issued
Monday, al-Hashemi said the law is "still defective" and time is
running out to reach an accord that would allow the election in January. "Time is passing
without seeing any action," said the statement. "Little time is
left." Copyright © 2009 The
Associated Press. External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwK_CSpBxsNuVUEaDuOwmSSCiqGwD9CA0MIG1 |