Up until now the Bush Administration has said it doesn't track civilian casualties. No military value in knowing, too hard to tell what folks died of, no reliable sources of information, can't believe the Iraqis, can't believe the morgues, can't believe the hospitals. Hasn't cared.

Now they're determined to make them a political issue. I would have to say that their examples are slightly ridiculous, and more political than military. Machine-gunning 4 members of a religious sect isn't sectarian because they were not mutilated?

Tragically, this new-found interest is a shabby political game.

Arf