Lancet Study on Iraq deaths-Independent

CAABU Letter in the Independent

17 October 2006

Sir: The Lancet figures of 655,000 Iraqis killed since the invasion of Iraq is a savage indictment of the US-UK handling of their legal, moral and ethical duties towards the Iraqi people. Now there is a grubby attempt to discredit research that has been peer-reviewed using techniques that are readily accepted elsewhere, rather than own up to this disaster.

This is symptomatic of an increasing and ever-pervasive anti-Arab racism. When Arab casualties are involved in Iraq and elsewhere, the figures are debated as if there was an acceptable level of Arab deaths.

There are some who are appalled at the deaths of Iraqis, others who debate their numbers, but increasingly, many adopt the attitude of so what, it does not matter. This was so eloquently expressed by Donald Rumsfeld, when he stated: "We don't do body counts on other people."

Britain is embroiled in an operation that has resulted in an enormous loss of life, whatever the figures. Yet nobody is prepared to apologise or to resign for this debacle. What message does that send out to those whom we are trying to persuade that western values are real and worth supporting? Is Arab life worthless?

CHRIS DOYLE

DIRECTOR, COUNCIL FOR ARAB-BRITISH UNDERSTANDING, LONDON EC4

CAABU (Council for Arab-British Understanding)