Casualties

Reader am writes in:

I wrote to the BBC Online asking why they were reporting casualties as killed rather than killed/wounded/captured - why the word is not being used as in the English language. Attached is their response, and I find it informative. Apparently, US Central Command gets to redefine words as they please and the BBC, on bended knee, conforms to USCC usage.


-A.


Begin forwarded message:


From: "NewsOnline"
Date: Mon Oct 20, 2003 7:57:46 AM US/Eastern
To: [x]
Subject: RE: Factual Error report.


Dear Sir/Madam


Thank you for your email. We use US Central Command's definition of
casualties in the war in Iraq, which only refers to those who have been
killed. Thank you for your interest in the BBC News website.