LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair has received a letter from a group of distinguished figures calling for an independent inquiry into civilian deaths in Iraq.
The 46 signatories, including former diplomats, military men and bishops, say an investigation into the numbers of civilian casualties is imperative given the extreme variance in recent studies.
In October, the medical journal Lancet estimated 98,000 Iraqis may have died since March 2003, a number that the British government rejects.
The government says Iraqi Ministry of Health figures -- just under 4,000 between April and October -- are more accurate.
The letter to Blair says: "As you know, your government is obliged under international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population during military operations in Iraq, and you have consistently promised to do so.
"However, without counting the dead and injured, no one can know whether Britain and its coalition partners are meeting these obligations."
Signatories include retired General Sir Hugh Beech, the Bishop of Coventry, an ex-ambassador to Iraq and the former assistant chief of the defense staff Lord Garden.
The government has not yet commented on the letter.
