Iraq violence jumps in February - 633 Dead

March 1, 2008
Iraq violence jumps in February - 633 Dead

The number of Iraqis killed by violence rose in February for the first time in several months, official figures show.

At least 633 civilians died, according to data from several ministries - up from more than 460 deaths in January.

The increase was mainly due to two attacks in Baghdad and one near Karbala that killed at least 150 people.

U.N. officials accused Iraq of withholding civilian death figures

April 25, 2007
U.N. officials accused Iraq of withholding civilian death figures

BAGHDAD - U.N. officials accused Iraq on Wednesday of withholding civilian death figures to try to deflect attention from escalating violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis despite the U.S.-led Baghdad security crackdown.

Those conclusions by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq drew a sharp rebuke from the Iraq's political leadership, which called the report "unbalanced" and said it raised questions about the credibility of the U.N. staff in Iraq.

The clashing views over the document — which covered three months ending March 31 — reflect a wider debate that goes beyond attempts to tally the bloodshed: whether the Baghdad security operation has made any lasting progress since the crackdown was launched in mid-February.

Dems lead on every major issue.

February 22, 2007
Dems lead on every major issue.

                                                     Both    Neither   No
                                 Bush    Dems   (vol.)   (vol.)    op.
a. The situation in Iraq              34      54       *        9       2
b. campaign against terrorism         39      52       2        5       2
c. The economy                        36      56       1        6       2
d. The federal budget                 32      59       1        6       2
e. Health care                        25      62       1        9       4

Truck bomber kills 135 in deadliest Iraq blast

February 4, 2007
Truck bomber kills 135 in deadliest Iraq blast

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 135 people on Saturday in the deadliest single bombing in Iraq since the 2003 war, driving a truck laden with one tonne of explosives into a market in a mainly Shi'ite area of Baghdad.

The blast, which Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed on Saddam Hussein supporters and other Sunni militants, shattered fruit and vegetable stalls, caved in shopfronts and left the smashed bodies of shoppers strewn in the street.

It came as U.S. and Iraqi troops prepared for a planned offensive seen as a last-ditch effort to stem worsening sectarian bloodshed that kills hundreds in Baghdad every week.

Iraqi Interior Ministry estimates 1,000 killed in one week

February 4, 2007
Iraqi Interior Ministry estimates 1,000 killed in one week

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi Interior Ministry estimates that about 1,000 people have been killed throughout Iraq in the past week due to gunbattles, drive-by shootings and bomb attacks, a ministry official said Sunday.

The figure includes members of militia and terrorist groups, civilians and Iraqi security forces. The official said the data was gathered by Iraq's Interior, Health and Defense ministries.