ICasualties.org
Encyclopedia
iCasualties.org, formally the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count,
is an independent website
created in May 2003 by Michael White, a software engineer
from Stone Mountain
, Georgia
, to track casualties in the Afghanistan War
and Iraq War.
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
and has been cited by, among others, the BBC
, the Associated Press
, Voice of America
, The New York Times
, and The Washington Post
.
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." 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.”
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.
is an independent website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
created in May 2003 by Michael White, a software engineer
Software engineer
A software engineer is an engineer who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software, such as computer chips, work.- Overview :...
from Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, to track casualties in the Afghanistan War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and Iraq War.
The website compiles information on casualties incurred by the Multi-National Force (MNF) in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
using news reports and press releases from the U.S. Department of Defense, CENTCOM, the MNF, and the British Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. The project has grown in scope since its conception, and now also provides fatality counts for contractors, Iraqi security forces
Iraqi Security Forces
The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Government of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Air Force, and the Iraqi Navy....
(since January 2005), and Iraqi civilians (since March 2005).
The website is considered an "authoritative" record of MNF casualties in Iraq
and has been cited by, among others, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
However, his number differs considerably from other counts regarding the Afghanistan War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
because many people assume his count for Operation Enduring Freedom means "the war in Afghanistan." In fact he includes deaths in all theaters of combat in Operation Enduring Freedom including Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Philippines and the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
. White told The Takeaway
The Takeaway
The Takeaway is a morning radio news program co-created and co-produced by Public Radio International and WNYC-New York Public Radio with editorial partners the BBC World Service of the United Kingdom, The New York Times, and WGBH Radio Boston of the United States...
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.”
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.
See also
- Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003 have come in many forms, and the accuracy of the information available on different types of Iraq War casualties varies greatly.The table below...
- Coalition casualties in AfghanistanCoalition casualties in AfghanistanAs of November 30, 2011, there have been 2,744 coalition deaths in Afghanistan as part of ongoing coalition operations since the invasion in 2001. In this total, the American figure is for deaths "In and Around Afghanistan" which, as defined by the U.S...
- Iraq Body Count projectIraq Body Count projectIraq Body Count project is a web-based effort to record civilian deaths resulting from the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. Included are deaths attributable to coalition and insurgent military action, sectarian violence and criminal violence, which refers to excess civilian deaths caused by criminal...
- Lancet surveys of casualties of the Iraq War