In Iraq, death tolls often in dispute
Disparities between official and eyewitness tallies lead some Iraqis to charge the government with downplaying attacks.
from the August 3, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
The aftermath of other recent attacks followed a similar pattern.
After a Karrada bombing Wednesday, plumes of smoke shot up into the hazy summer sky for nearly half an hour. A car bomber detonated his load on a congested road opposite a gas station.
Fifteen to 20 Iraqis were killed, according to local TV and western media, which get figures from Iraqi police or anonymous Interior Ministry sources.
Most Iraqis at the scene insisted the toll was much higher. They claimed that dozens died.
One Iraqi official confirmed that the government and the Ministries of Defense and Interior regularly "underreport" deadly acts of violence despite having all the data.
The official, formerly with a joint US-Iraqi operations center in the Green Zone, who requested anonymity, says the most reliable death tolls are the ones collected by the Ministry of Health.
But a government spokesman denies there has been any manipulation of figures or pressure on television stations, including state-funded Iraqiya, to play down news of violence.
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