Web Site: American Troops Responsible for 1 Percent of Iraqi Civilian Deaths in 2006

The internet has been widely used by both sides of the war in Iraq, ranging from the domestic supporter, to the overseas recruiter, in the hopes of harnessing the power of such an easy method of communication and information distribution to sway a point. IraqBodyCount.net was formed early in the conflict in Iraq, with the stated intent of demonstrating clearly the death toll and cost in human lives of the conflict.

Referring to themselves as IBC, the site touts that it has largely been used by various press organizations, media, and websites, including the BBC and the Associated Press, and they have been broadly praised for its accurate, consistent, and seemingly unbiased reporting of nothing but the raw, hard, figures of the death tolls in Iraq, especially among civilians.

In fact, the Web site was even used in legal proceedings in the United Kingdom and International Criminal Court, further justifying its authenticity as a credible source of information. Therefore many are surprised to learn that the IBC's body count demonstrates that 1% of civilian deaths in 2006 are the result of collateral damage by American soldiers - while a staggering 98.7% are at the hands of fellow country men, foreign fighters, and other Muslims in the country.

According to the exact figures posted by the Web site, 16,791 civilians were murdered by Islamic extremists in the form of sectarian violence that included macabre torture chambers, IED roadside bombs, car bombs, suicide attacks, and other forms of terrorist aggression. In contrast, American troops have killed 225 civilians in 2006, all of which were done collaterally. Indeed, the United States has traditionally tried to minimize the collateral damage caused to civilians through the use of strategic smart bombing, and generally ruling out the carpet bombing tactic unless entirely necessary.