See the issue regarding "civilian deaths" in Iraq is that some (and sometimes the majority) of the combatants are dressed identical to civilian clothing. The taliban is extremely unorganized, therefore they do not have a complete list of enlisted soldiers. While on the street, its not uncommon for them to give an AK to a civilian and say help us in this battle or we kill you. Therefore when Americans shoot that "civilian" is makes them look horrible and raise "civilian casualty" rates. All it takes is one corrupt group with power to destruct an entire system. (Hitler, Tamil Tigers, Etc. Source: One of my friends fought in Iraq, got both of his legs blown off by stepping on an IED, (4 weeks ago) now tells the tale.