Iraq III: Baghdad Morgue Report for August

Baghdad's Central Morgue processed 1,536 victims of violent deaths during August, putting the lie to the contention that order is being restored to the capital because of a major U.S.-Iraqi security sweep.

The morgue primarily handles unidentified gunshot victims, predominantly shot execution-style and often showing signs of torture.

Since the spring, as sectarian violence has mounted, monthly counts of civilian casualties have reached the highest levels of the war, topping 1,800 at the morgue in July. At least 3,438 Iraqis were killed across the country that month, according to Iraqi government figures, nearing the total of roughly 5,000 for the entire first year of the war.

In 2002, before U.S.-led forces entered Iraq, the Baghdad morgue averaged 15 shooting victims a month.

Bombing victims and many others who die violently in Baghdad are taken to the city's hospitals rather than the morgue. The morgue figures announced this week do not include those killings, nor killings outside of Baghdad and its surrounding towns.