REPORT ON CIVILIAN CASUALITIES IN IRAQ:LANCET STUDY

CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON THE LANCET STUDY OF 650,000 EXCESS DEATHES.
This report is available on CSPAN, there was a panel discussion /congressional
hearings on the Lancet report. ( LINK on Title is IRAQ BODY COUNT -CIVILIAN)

*** Please see other post: "Numbers don't lie , People do", and see link to title
and that links to teh Lancet Study itself. ****

( On Sunday nite I watched the Lancet Hearings,
cried, and threw up. I also took notes.... I lack the heart to rewrite the notes
at this point- but I do want to make sure they are available. This week I will tidy them up for all two of my readers.)

The CSPAN Hearing is based on Hopkins Resarch on Deathes in Iraq March 2003 until Aug 2006-
the number is 655,000 dead based on the research of Les Roberts and Gilbert Burnham, and
Senator Kucinich and Ron Paul held a hearing- Basement of Senate building- no one really there-
just about six press people- public not there- does not look like it was well publicized.
Juan Cole from University of Michigan was there- to address questions and concerns about
Middle East History. It was originally on Monday Dec11, 2006 on CSPAN 2.
**(The Next day Kucinich announced his run for pres. I do think it is related to his concerns
over Iraq..)

(1) SENATOR KUCINICH LED THIS PANEL and Hearing, Juan Cole was on Panel
and the two investigators from Hopkins that worked on the Lancet study.
Les Roberts and Gilbert Burnham. and there were 4-6 press, and no
other audience, it was held in the basement of the Senate Building.
It was set up to review the Lancet study and three years of research.

(2) These surveillance/measureing methods have all been used in War Zones:
Bosnia, Afganistan,Kosovo and the Congo, Orignially Dr.Berkal tried to collect
the day and work with Jay Garner.

(3)Dr.Gilbert Burnham co-author explained how the studies were done,
in a conflict situation it is very difficult to do cluster studies, but that is
what is done , although it is more difficult to do with GPS
the way W.H.O. reccomends. They are not just trying to measure
death- they and mortality in given populations, they are also trying to
measure health needs, birth rates,pregnency, disease, malnutrition, but
samplings of any of these is very difficult in areas where thiere is such violence.

(4) Methodlolgy might indeed be flawed, due to flawed sampling or other
effectors of inaccuracy- but they are thinking that now the flaw is not getting all
the bodies proplery counted, not that they over counted or numbers were too high.
The estimates for flaw- taking into error account- would lower range at the most
conservative to 390,000, but with new numbers or estimates or measuring tools it
is .may be closer to 950,000.
*** 3000 for Oct 2006 alone.
Deathes are indeed rising. Not all bodies are counted.If bodies are
not identified and no death certificates are given- they are not always counted.
Death rates march 2003 - Aug 2006 - est 655,000.

(5) 601,000 DUE TO VIOLENCE,
DEATH DUE TO ILLNESS, NUTRITION, COLLAPSE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
AND HEALTH CARE, SHORTAGE OF MEDICINE, AND SECURITY
AT HOSPITALS, FLIGHT OF WORKERS, LACK OF CLEAN WATER,FRESH FOOD.
45,000 ESTIMATE.

(6) DR.JUAN COLE , HISTORIAN U OF MICHIGAN EXPLAINED HOW THESE STATS CAN SHOW/DEMONSTRATE
THAT THESE NUMBERS AND CRITERIA CAN INDEED INDICATE
A CIVIL WAR OR EVEN GREATER CIVIL CONFLICT.THESE ARE SIGNIFIGANT.
GUREILLA AND MILITIA MOVEMENTS, COULD BE DUE TO HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT-%60- VERY HIGH.
VERY HIGH RATE OF DEATH AMOUNG YOUNG MEN.
WOMEN ARE FLEEING- TO SYRIA AND JORDAN ( PROSTITUTION)
KUCHINICH ASKED HOW MANY ORPHANS ( AL- CHECK HUMAN RIGHTS AND UNICEF, cause these numbers are not known)

(7) THESE NUMBERS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE ARE SHIFTING EACH MONTH-
100-200,000 MONTH- DR.B stated. This also means that migration numbers
will make it difficult to track people.

(8) JUAN COLE ASKED ABOUT WORKFORCE-
HE TALKED ABOUT DESTRUCTION OF ECONOMY.
USUSALLY WOMEN WOULD- BUT THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
DUE TO CULTURAL GENDER SEGREGATION, AND ALSO SECURITY.
BUT IT COULD EFFECT RECOVERY AND REDEVELOPEMENT.
INSTABILITY AND SECURITY IS EFFECTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND NOT JUST WORK
ZONES.SOCIAL FABRIC IS TORN.VICIOUS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.
MORALE IS DESTROYED, NOW MEDICAL STUDENTS ARE TRYING TO CARRY ON
MEDICAL CARE. SOME OF THE HOSPITALS HAVE ONLY HANDFULS OF DOCTORS,
MANY HAVE FLED- AND ARE NOW DRIVING TAXI'S IN EGYPT AND
JORDAN.

(9) STUDY HAS BEEN DONE NOW TWICE 2004 AND 2006.
STUDY IS NOT COMPLETE AND ACCURATE BECAUSE OF
LACK OF SECURITY.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO STUDY HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS AND MIGRATORY PATTERNS.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO STUDY THE LONGTERM EFFECTS.

(10) LES ROBERTS MENTIONED THE "CONTRITION" - THAT GREAT HARM TO ANOTHER
POPULATION AND PEOPLE COULD BE STUDIED, PENTAGON HAS NEVER EVER GIVEN
ANY ESTIMATES OR SUMMARIES OF TRUE COLLATERAL AND CIVILIAN DAMAGE.
HE SPEAKS WITH FEELING AND TRUE CARING OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THESE PEOPLE
AND HOW THEY HAVE BEEN HARMED.

(11) BODIES ARE FOUND EXECUTED, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TORTURED, WITH DRILLS,
AND CHEMICALS AND WORSE, AND THEN THEY ARE EXECUTED.
THIS IS VIOLENCE THAT CAN NOT BE IGNORED.
THIS IS WHAT A CIVIL WAR LOOKS LIKE.
DENIAL IS JUST GOING TO LEAD TO MORE DEATH.
( COMMENT WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR DEBATES ON SEMANTICS-
PEOPLE ARE BEING SLAUGHERED IN THEIR OWN HOMELAND- TRYING TO
PROTECT THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS).

(12) THIS IS NOT AL QUEDA IT IS CIVIL WAR. said Juan Cole
WE HAVE COMMITTED CLEOCIDE ( LOOK UP THIS WORD).
JUAN COLE ASKED WHAT WILL VICTORY LOOK LIKE ?
THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE OUR TROOPS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

(13) "TRUTH AND RECONCILATION IS IMPORTANT" SENATOR K.
RON PAUL ALSO WORKED ON SPONSERING THIS EVENT, HE IS
ALSO A DOCTOR. HE WROTE A LETTER ABOUT THE PAIN AND SUFFERING
AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT HAVE BEEN INCURRED TO THIS POPULATION.
100,000 VETS AND SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED IN THIS WAR HE WROTE
IN HIS STATEMENT.

WATCH THE WHOLE THING, AND ESPECIALLY THE CLOSING STATEMENTS
IT WILL MOVE YOU. OBITUARIES ARE NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBERS,
THEY ARE ABOUT PEOPLE.
*^*^*^*^*^*
Enigma's closing thoughts.....
How many grave yards will that fill ?
There are not enough morgues....
655,000 is alot of people.
Stadiums vs cemetaries.....
6 people in the damn room and NO other elected officials other than Kucinich...
fuck.