Once and Future Killing

The Iraq Body Count has come out with a press release about the civilian casualties in the US assault on Fallujah in April in retaliation for the brutal killing of four US mercenaries. Out of about 800 reported deaths, they estimate between 572 and 616 civilians (with about half of these women and children). This makes the assault on Fallujah more severe than the terrorist bombings in Madrid and Karbala - in fact, it's the largest terrorist atrocity since the September 2001 attacks in New York and the Pentagon.

The numbers are quite consistent with early estimates of numbers killed and eyewitness reports on the indiscriminate killing by US troops. (For more reports and analysis, see Andrew Chitty's Fallujah page.)

This reminder of mass murder is particularly topical since more seems to be on the way soon. Fallujah has been bombed for weeks, and preparations for ground assault have been made. A ground assault may be launched after the US elections next week, with British complicity.