Counting Casualties in Syria & Iraq, and More from CRS
The number of people killed in Syria since March 2011 is variously estimated to be between 250,000 and 470,000. The number of estimated casualties in Iraq ranges from 19,000 to 41,650 deaths since January 2014.
A new report from the Congressional Research Service somewhat clinically discusses “the difficulties of collecting war-related casualty data in both countries and provides an overview of some of the current estimated figures available through selected organizations.”
“CRS is unable to independently track casualties in Syria and Iraq, and cannot verify the data presented.” Nor does CRS suggest that U.S. policy would be affected in one direction or another by casualty data that were verified to be accurate. See Counting Casualties in Syria and Iraq: Process and Challenges, CRS Insight, April 12, 2016.
Other noteworthy reports from the Congressional Research Service that have been withheld by Congress from online public distribution include the following.
Coalition Contributions to Countering the Islamic State, updated April 13, 2016
The Islamic State Woos Jihadists in Africa but Faces Competition, CRS Insight, April 14, 2016
Defense: FY2017 Budget Request, Authorization, and Appropriations, April 12, 2016
Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements, updated April 13, 2016
Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress, updated April 13, 2016
The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions, updated April 13, 2016
Air Force B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber, April 14, 2016
Mens Rea Reform: A Brief Overview, April 14, 2016
Zika Response Funding: In Brief, April 14, 2016
Zika Virus: Global Health Considerations, CRS Insight, updated April 14, 2016
U.S. Postal Service Rolls Back Its Prices, CRS Insight, April 13, 2016
Highway Bridge Conditions: Issues for Congress, April 13, 2016
The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections, updated April 13, 2016
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings for Supreme Court Nominations: Historical Overview and Data, CRS Insight, April 13, 2016
Surveillance of Foreigners Outside the United States Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), April 13, 2016
With summer 2025 in the rearview mirror, we’re taking a look back to see how federal actions impacted heat preparedness and response on the ground, what’s still changing, and what the road ahead looks like for heat resilience.
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.