The groups that tracked Iraqi deaths had a bit of a
divergence in March 2014. Iraq Body Count and the Iraqi government had
casualties going up, while Agence France Presse saw a large drop. The United
Nations was roughly the same as the previous months of the year. Musings On
Iraq’s own count saw a large increase to the highest level so far in 2014.
Still the majority opinion was that the security situation was getting worse in
Iraq.
The number of fatalities went in different directions in
March depending upon which group was consulted. Iraq Body Count had 1,009 killed up from 930 in February. The Iraqi
government said 1,004 people died in March compared to 790 the previous month.
Since September 2012 the government ministries have been releasing much more
realistic figures after keeping them extremely low compared to other
organizations. The United Nations counted 748
killed. That included 592 deaths in Iraq’s 17 provinces and 156 from
Anbar’s Health Directorate. In January the U.N. had 733 and 703 in February,
but those did not include Anbar. Still their numbers have stayed relatively
stable for 2014. Agence
France Presse was the anomaly from the others as it went from 991 in
January to 747 in February to 512 in March. Finally, Musings On Iraq’s own
statistics had 1,607 killed in March, the highest amount so far this year. One
major cause for deaths to go up and down are the number of major bombings.
Musings On Iraq counted the same number of car and suicide bombers 73 and 43
respectively in February and March, so that was not the case this time. Rather
the reason why there was an increase in casualties was a sharp jump in violence
in Anbar and Salahaddin. The news agencies and the Iraqi press reported 184
killed in Anbar in February compared to 343 in March. 122 of the latter were
from government shelling. Likewise in Salahaddin deaths went from 272 in
February to 368 in March. Since the start of the year those two provinces have
become some of the most insecure in the country.
Deaths In Iraq 2003-2013
Month/Year
|
Iraq Body Count
|
Avg.
Daily Deaths
|
Iraqi
Ministries
|
Avg.
Daily Deaths
|
United
Nations
|
Avg.
Daily Deaths
|
Agence
France Presse
|
Avg.
Daily Deaths
|
Musings
On Iraq
|
Avg.
Daily Deaths
|
2003
|
4,675
|
19.0
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2004
|
11,608
|
31.8l
|
11,313
|
30.99
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2005
|
16,186
|
44.2
|
15,817
|
43.3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2006
|
29,144
|
79.8
|
32,622
|
89.3
|
34,452
|
94.3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2007
|
25,519
|
69.9
|
19,155
|
52.4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2008
|
9,839
|
26.9
|
9,046
|
24.7
|
11,536
|
31.6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2009
|
5,132
|
14.0
|
3,682
|
10.0
|
4,611
|
12.6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2010
|
4,109
|
11.2
|
3,949
|
10.8
|
4,855
|
13.3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2011
|
4,147
|
11.3
|
2,781
|
7.6
|
4,150
|
11.3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2012
|
4,573
|
12.5
|
2,174
|
5.9
|
3,878
|
10.6
|
1,531
(7 mo.)
|
7.1
|
-
|
-
|
Jan. 2013
|
357
|
11.5
|
177
|
5.7
|
319
|
10.2
|
246
|
7.9
|
-
|
-
|
Feb.
|
360
|
12.7
|
136
|
4.8
|
418
|
14.9
|
220
|
7.8
|
-
|
-
|
Mar.
|
403
|
13.0
|
163
|
5.2
|
456
|
14.7
|
271
|
8.7
|
-
|
-
|
Apr.
|
545
|
18.1
|
208
|
6.9
|
712
|
23.7
|
461
|
15.3
|
-
|
-
|
May
|
888
|
28.6
|
681
|
21.9
|
1,045
|
33.7
|
614
|
19.8
|
-
|
-
|
Jun.
|
659
|
21.9
|
240
|
8.0
|
761
|
25.3
|
452
|
15.0
|
-
|
-
|
Jul.
|
1,145
|
36.9
|
989
|
31.9
|
1,057
|
34.0
|
875
|
28.2
|
-
|
-
|
Aug.
|
1,012
|
32.6
|
365
|
11.7
|
804
|
25.9
|
693
|
22.3
|
-
|
-
|
Sep.
|
1,221
|
40.7
|
971
|
32.3
|
979
|
32.6
|
880
|
29.3
|
-
|
-
|
Oct.
|
1,095
|
35.3
|
964
|
31.0
|
979
|
31.5
|
743
|
23.9
|
-
|
-
|
Nov.
|
903
|
30.1
|
948/1,121
|
31.6/
37.3
|
659
|
21.9
|
693
|
23.1
|
-
|
-
|
Dec.
|
983
|
31.7
|
1,001
|
32.2
|
759
|
24.4
|
668
|
21.5
|
-
|
-
|
2013 Totals
|
9,571
|
25.9
|
6,843/
7,016
|
18.7/
19.2
|
8,948
|
24.5
|
6,818
|
18.6
|
-
|
-
|
Jan. 2014
|
1,076
|
34.7
|
1,013
|
32.6
|
733*
|
23.6
|
991
|
31.9
|
1,495
|
48.2
|
Feb.
|
930
|
33.2
|
790
|
28.2
|
703*
|
25.1
|
747
|
26.5
|
1,296
|
46.2
|
Mar.
|
1,009
|
32.5
|
1,004
|
32.3
|
748
|
24.1
|
512
|
16.5
|
1,607
|
51.8
|
* Figures
do not include Anbar
The overall picture is that the security situation in Iraq
is deteriorating. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) is carrying
out open military parades in Anbar and Baghdad provinces. The Naqshibandi,
Ansar al-Sunna, the Islamic Army, the 1920 Revolution Brigades, Hamas Iraq, and
some tribes are all carrying out attacks as well. The Iraqi Security Forces
have proven incapable of containing these groups. That means that things will
likely get worse, and 2014 is looking like a very bad year for Iraq.
SOURCES
Agence France Presse, “Iraq casualties from violence (March
2014),” 4/1/14
Iraq Body Count
Radio Nawa, “UNAMI: killing 592
people and wounding 1234 others as a result of violence in Iraq over the past
month,” 4/1/14
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