Casualties of War

Bush gave a speech this morning to the World Affairs Council, and in a Q&A afterward, answered a question about Iraqi casualties with:

"I would say 30,000 more or less have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis," the president said.

Immediately, the machine spun into action:

White House counselor Dan Bartlett said later that Bush's estimate of the number of Iraqis killed was not an official figure but that the president was simply repeating public estimates reported in the media.

Mind you, “30,000 more or less” is what Iraq Body Count estimates, based on news reports, but it’s kind of stunning to hear the president say it, since the administration has been so loathe to discuss it and has, in the past, basically said it was impossible to know.