Editor:
The front page article appearing in today’s Herald centered on the United Nations’ report that more than 34,000 Iraqi civilians had been slain in 2006. With the continuing indictments of United Nations’ officials involving the “Oil for Food” scandal, should we give preferred credence to this figure over the 12,000 deaths reported by the Iraqi government? Also, what is the reasonable estimate of civilian killings in Iraq that would have occurred last year had not Saddam been deposed by American forces? Perhaps Kurdish deaths alone would have surpassed 34,000.
John E. Carlson
The front page article appearing in today’s Herald centered on the United Nations’ report that more than 34,000 Iraqi civilians had been slain in 2006. With the continuing indictments of United Nations’ officials involving the “Oil for Food” scandal, should we give preferred credence to this figure over the 12,000 deaths reported by the Iraqi government? Also, what is the reasonable estimate of civilian killings in Iraq that would have occurred last year had not Saddam been deposed by American forces? Perhaps Kurdish deaths alone would have surpassed 34,000.
John E. Carlson