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A far more comprehensive and exact survey, using the same exact methods as the Lancet but with a massively larger number of interviews spread out further across the country, found 151,000 civilians had died in the conflict.<ref>http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr02/en/index.html</ref>  Because this was three times higher than the IBC estimate at the time<ref>http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr02/en/index.html</ref>, it would indicate a total sum of approximately 300,000 Iraqis as of today.

A far more comprehensive and exact survey, using the same exact methods as the Lancet but with a massively larger number of interviews spread out further across the country, found 151,000 civilians had died in the conflict.<ref>http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr02/en/index.html</ref>  Because this was three times higher than the IBC estimate at the time<ref>http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr02/en/index.html</ref>, it would indicate a total sum of approximately 300,000 Iraqis as of today.  This is probably an absolute ''maximum'' estimate because the ratio of 1 out of every 3 deaths being recorded by the IBC has been altered considerably by the great decline in violence following the surge, so that the IBC’s recent figures are much more inclusive of the total sum than its earlier findings.

Columnist [[Christopher Hitchens]], who supports the war, has boldly argued that the estimates of the death toll are irrelevant:

Columnist [[Christopher Hitchens]], who supports the war, has boldly argued that the estimates of the death toll are irrelevant: