Saturday, January 12, 2008

When do deaths count?

A survey by the World Health Organization says that 151,000 Iraqis died in the three years after the US invasion. It is not yet clear how that number breaks down among deaths of terrorists in battle, deaths of victims of terror attacks, and deaths caused by the US. Liberals blame Bush for the deaths. For a contrasting view, consider UN Ambassador and later Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's reaction when questioned on Sixty Minutes about an estimate (also likely wildly inflated) of Iraqi deaths during the Clinton years:
Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it.
Note that the claimed number was 500,000 deaths from sanctions and contrast that with the 151,000 estimated for the full invasion and liberation.

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