November Death Toll Lowest Since Beginning of Iraq War

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The civilian death toll in Iraq dropped to its lowest level in November since the beginning the US-led invasion in 2003. At least eighty eight Iraqi civilians were killed during the month according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry official. This is the first month in which less than one hundred civilians were killed since the beginning of the conflict. Overall one hundred and twenty two Iraqis died in November. Twenty two police officers and twelve soldiers died in addition to the civilians who were killed.

The November total is a noticeable drop from October’s death toll in which a total of four hundred and ten individuals were killed throughout Iraq. A large number of these deaths came during a twin suicide bombing near government offices in Baghdad in which one hundred fifty people were killed. The previous lowest monthly death was in May 2009, when one hundred fifty five people were killed. Among those were one hundred twenty four civilians.

The current monthly totals for casualties in Iraq pale in comparison to those of 2006 and 2007. The period was marked by rampant sectarian violence. In January 2007 alone two thousand Iraqi people were killed.

The low death toll number comes at a time where senior Iraqi and United States officials predict a possible increase in violence leading up to the country’s parliamentary election. The top US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, predicted last month that politically motivated violence would be used to undermine the Iraqi government and security forces prior to the election. General Odierno recently said, “we still have a small group of extremist elements that will do anything and everything to undermine Iraq’s progress and the people’s confidence in the government in Iraq.”

While the reports of the decreased death toll pleased senior Iraqi officials, they emphasized that the numbers still could be improved upon. Ali Mussawi, an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki commented that, “we’re delighted with the decrease in the number of victims of terrorism, but we will only be happy when we eliminate all threats.” Mussawi also called on civilians and security forces to “remain vigilant because the enemy is waiting.”

For more information, please see:

AFP – Iraq Monthly Death Toll Lowest Since US Invasion – 1 December 2009

CNN – Iraq’s Civilian Death Toll in November is Lowest Since War Began – 1 December 2009

Associated Press – Iraq Reports Drop in Civilian Deaths in November – 30 November 2009

Reuters – Iraqi Civilian Deaths Drop to Lowest Level of War – 30 November 2009

Author: Impunity Watch Archive