[richbell]

I think the crux of the issue is that they purport to record deaths from non-natural causes "to the maximum extent practicable"; one could argue that both of those clauses leave room for interpretation. Ultimately there's no strong evidence either way, which I'd argue puts the burden of proof in the camp making the claim.

> the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, mandates that, to the maximum extent practicable, the Department of State collect and make available on the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site certain information with respect to each United States citizen who dies in a foreign country *from a non-natural cause.*