Not Counting the Dead

In Afghanistan, where death is ubiquitous, killing a habit, and war has been a constant for an entire generation, few people are bothering to count the casualties mounting from more than four months of US action. "There are no official US figures, and nor have the dozens of non-governmental charities now operating in the country done any independent research," notes the Guardian. "Despite the manipulation of casualty figures for propaganda purposes by both pro-war apologists and anti-war activists, it is already clear that the number of civilian dead from the bombing vastly exceeds the estimated 500 killed by US air strikes during the 78-day Kosovo war, and may also be higher than the 3,200 Iraqi civilians believed killed during the Gulf war."