iCasualties.org, formally the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count,[1] is an independent website[2] created in May 2003 by Michael White, a software engineer from Stone Mountain, Georgia, to track casualties in the Afghanistan War and Iraq War.[3]
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 Screenshot dated August 28, 2010. | |
Type of site | Nonprofit / user-supported |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Created by | Michael White |
| URL | http://icasualties.org |
| Commercial | No |
| Launched | May 2003 |
| Current status | Active |
The website compiles information on casualties incurred by the Multi-National Force (MNF) in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan using news reports and press releases from the U.S. Department of Defense, CENTCOM, the MNF, and the British Ministry of Defence. The project has grown in scope since its conception, and now also provides fatality counts for contractors, Iraqi security forces (since January 2005), and Iraqi civilians (since March 2005).
The website is considered an "authoritative" record of MNF casualties in Iraq[4] and has been cited by, among others, the BBC, the Associated Press, Voice of America, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.[1][5]
However, his number differs considerably from other counts regarding the Afghanistan War because many people assume his count for Operation Enduring Freedom means "the war in Afghanistan."[citation needed] In fact he includes deaths in all theaters of combat in Operation Enduring Freedom including Cuba, the Philippines and the Horn of Africa. White told The Takeaway that "Our count of U.S. fatalities in Operation Enduring Freedom has passed 1,000, however U.S. fatalities in and around Afghanistan remain under this benchmark."[2]
White has stated that it costs him $500 per month to maintain the web site, and he will continue to maintain it as long as he can continue to raise the money necessary to cover the costs.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Varela, Anna (2005-10-17). "A somber tally in Iraq". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^ a b King, Noel (2010-02-23). "Pinning Down a Difficult Number in Afghanistan". The Takeaway. Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
- ^ Bigg, Matthew (2006-12-28). ""Joe Blow" keeps track of Iraq war dead". Reuters (via AlertNet). Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ "US Military Struggles to `defeat' IEDs". AP. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ Trejos, Nancy (2007-01-01). "U.S. Toll In Iraq Reaches 3,000". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^ Basu, Moni (November 30, 2009). "As a hobby, he counts the war dead". CNN. Retrieved November 30, 2009.