Surge Report
Civilian deaths from violence in Iraq rose in August, with 1,773 people killed, government data showed on Saturday, just days before the U.S. Congress gets a slew of reports on President George W. Bush’s war strategy.
The civilian death toll was up 7 percent from 1,653 people killed in July, according to figures from various ministries.
[source]
Just something to remember when Bush and his henchmen tell you that the surge is working.
Shall we start a list of how they’ll spin this particular piece of statical data?
We definitely need RJ to come back and explain to us again why everything is working out “much better than he expected”.
Whooee! Civilian deaths were up but Merkan soldier deaths were down. The surge must be workin’. An’ things are quiet in Anbar now that the Merkans are arming the Sunnis. Hmmm… weren’t the Sunnis the baddest insurgents? Wasn’t Saddam a member of the Sunni minority that oppressed the Shi’ite majority? Are the Merkans gonna set up another Saddam so’s he can fight their enemies in Iran? Or just arm the Sunnis to the teeth so’s they can install their own Saddam… again?
JB
What I’m finding interesting lately is the direct correlation between negative news from Iraq and 2003 Iraqesque ramping up of vitriol towards Iran. The worse the Americans do in Iraq, the louder sounds they make about Iran.
I’ve seen some youtube videos of Dubyah’s speeches about Iraq in ‘03 mashed up with Dubyah’s speeches about Iran in ‘07. The only difference is he looks more haggard now.
I really, really, really hope America is not stupid enough to fall for that again.
Lotsa trial balloons in the wind, for sure. One possible scenario is:
- pot kept bubbling with low key threats for a couple of months;
- manufactured crisis boils up;
- sudden, “resolute” action required in the late winter/spring;
- “surgical” strike or military action spring or early summer;
- resurgence of “Would You Trust A DEMOCRAT to Lead Us Through This Time of Crisis” meme, becoming the focal “issue” of the Presidential campaign.