(SNN Baghdad) Iraqi government documents, referenced a few days ago by the LA Times, show that, excluding bombings, more Baghdad residents died in shootings stabbings and other violence in May than any other since the invasion in 2003.

The Baghdad morgue reported 1400 violent deaths in the month of May. This would mean that 25 of 100,000 residents of Baghdad were killed by violent crimes in one month, and this does not even include those killed by bombings. These numbers become relevant in the context of a statement by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) who said that Iraqi civilian deaths were in the area of about 27 per 100,000 residents annually. However, Representative King has stated clearly that he used a very reputable web site for his numbers. Perhaps the morgue accidentally counted those bodies five times.

This puts a sizable wrench in Representative King's statement that Iraq is safer than Washington D.C., which suffers around 45 violent deaths per 100,000 people annually. However, it is easy to sympathize with Representative King. It is hard to see a city whose murder rate stand as an international standard for man's inhumanity towards man sink so low from its former glory. Now the only way that Washington can show its inhumanity is through politicians like Representative King.

But there is good news for our troops. At the rate Iraqis are dying, they may not face much opposition in the future. When you figure in bombing deaths and the death of members of the Iraqi military and police, the number goes much higher. At this rate, and taking the steady escalation into account, Baghdad's population will be reduced by 50% in just 10 years. Not only will this mean fewer insurgents, but it will mean that the United States will have less of the still not rebuilt infrastructure to rebuild.

posted by NewsBlog 5000  # Tuesday, June 06, 2006