Topic: Australian PM rejects report of huge Iraqi death toll

Media: AFP
Byline: n/a
Date: 12 October 2006

SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister John Howard Thursday rejected an
independent US study that estimated 655,000 Iraqis have died since the 2003
US-led invasion.

"I don't believe that John Hopkins (university) report," said Howard, whose
government contributed troops to the invasion and maintains a force of some
1,300 involved in Iraqi operations.

"It's not plausible, it's not based on anything other than a house to house
survey -- I think that's absolutely precarious.

"It is an unbelievably large number and it's out of whack with most of the
other assessments that have been made," Howard said.

US President George W. Bush has also dismissed the report as "not
credible".

Bush estimates the number of Iraqi deaths to be closer to 30,000, while the
Iraqi health ministry's last estimate put the civilian death toll at
128,000.

But the study's author, Gilbert Burnham of the Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore, Maryland, defended his findings as reliable and based on methods
commonly used by researchers in the health field.

Howard, a close ally of Washington, also dismissed a question about a
reported US reassessment of its troop deployment in Iraq.

"The latest advice I have is there is no fundamental reassessment going
on," he told the news conference.

"Obviously with such a large troop deployment the US is looking at its
position on a weekly if not daily basis, but I'm not advised and I don't
expect any change of substance or size to the American involvement."

Howard, who has repeatedly rejected calls by opposition parties for the
withdrawal of Australian troops, said Iraq would be plunged "into much
greater chaos and carnage" if coalition forces pulled out.

"It would be the worst possible thing to do. It would send a signal of hope
and enthusiasm and encouragement to the terrorist cause around the world."