U.N. report, Baghdad dispute civilian death figures

BAGHDAD (AP) -- U.N. officials accused Iraq on Wednesday of withholding civilian death figures to try to deflect attention from escalating violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis despite the U.S.-led Baghdad security crackdown.
Those conclusions by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq drew a sharp rebuke from the Iraq's political leadership, which called the report "unbalanced" and said it raised questions about the credibility of the U.N. staff in Iraq.
The clashing views over the document -- which covered three months ending March 31 -- reflect a wider debate that goes beyond attempts to tally the bloodshed: whether the Baghdad security operation has made any lasting progress since the crackdown was launched in mid-February.
While some measures suggest the capital is less violent -- such as apparent Shiite death squad killings reportedly on the decline -- bombings blamed on Sunni insurgents have continued with deadly frequency.
"Armed groups from all sides continued to target the civilian population," said the 30-page report.
The report's critical tone could embolden calls by the Democratic-controlled Congress to begin withdrawing U.S. troops by Oct. 1. It also could complicate efforts to win financial aid pledges from Iraq's neighbors during a regional conference in Egypt next week.
What was left out
The report avoided any judgment of the military effectiveness of the drive to regain control of Baghdad. But it took issue with tactics used against Iraqi civilians in the city -- alleging, for example, that whole families were often taken into custody at random during security sweeps.
"The government of Iraq continued to face immense security challenges in the face of growing violence and armed opposition to its authority and the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis," the report said.
It added that "the use of torture and other inhumane treatment" in government detention centers "continues to be of utmost concern."
In the report, the U.N. mission noted that government officials had claimed "an initial drop" in the number of killings in late February following the launch of the Baghdad security plan. But the report said the number of casualties "rose again in March."
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