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| Iraq |
| AP Says August Deadliest Month for Iraqis Since Surge |
| 2007-09-01 |
| Civilian deaths rose slightly in August as a huge suicide attack in the north two weeks ago offset security gains elsewhere, making it the second deadliest month for Iraqis since the U.S. troop buildup began, according to figures compiled Saturday by The Associated Press. So the surge is working, but it hasn't stopped all the violence. And ... U.S. deaths remained well below figures from last winter when the U.S began dispatching 30,000 additional troops to Iraq. At least 1,809 civilians were killed in the month, compared to 1,760 in July, based on figures compiled by the AP from official Iraqi reports. That brings to 27,564 the number of Iraqi civilians killed since AP began collecting data on April 28, 2005. The August total included 520 people killed in quadruple suicide bombings on Yazidi communities near the Syrian border. The horrific attacks made Aug. 14 the single deadliest day since the war began in March 2003. More at link, but I suspect it's really more "analysis". |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #10 And if you exclude the Yezidi attack, which was like shooting fish in a barrel, the August total was 27% less than the July total. But you'll never see that reported in the AP. |
| Posted by: KBK 2007-09-01 23:13 |
| #9 Well AP may be getting ready for the TET-redo crap, but it sounds like Brian DePalma is already all over it with his new movie. I read on Drudge that he said he read about the soldiers who raped the girl and then killed her and her whole family and knew immediately that he had a movie. Of course the AQI animals had done this hundreds of times, along with untold numbers of other despicable atrocities, but I guess he just couldn't envision the movie when they did it. Oh, and the soldiers that did this will rot in jail for the rest of their lives, as they should. Wonder if the asshole DePalma sees the difference. What a f*cking asshole he is. I hope some vet who runs into him breaks his nose. |
| Posted by: Remoteman 2007-09-01 21:06 |
| #8 Brooks is a good General, but lacks political vision at home - IIRC, he's the one that decided to stop the blogging by troops, which was one of the best ways to get the story out past the MSM filters ...except for Beauchamp, of course...I guess I should qualify that by "true stories" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-09-01 15:44 |
| #7 What many people do not realize about the Tet offensive is that, militarily, it was a disaster for the Viet Cong. They lost 40,000 dead. After that, the North Vietnamese Army had to take over. Of course, it was a propaganda victory, because Walter Cronkite and other traitors in the MSM saw the bodies on the grounds of the US Embassy and declared the war lost. One of the key differences between Iraq and Vietnam is that there is no North Vietnam to step in. Iran might try, but they would be very sorry if they openly sent in troops. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-09-01 15:20 |
| #6 This is AP getting us ready for the terrorists' Tet Offensive. However, it may not happen. From Ralph Peters (currently writing from Iraq) in a report about BACK FROM HELL: BAGHDAD'S HAIFA ST. STORY Then the U.S. Army moved in. Commanders must've felt tempted to just level the former Saddamist stronghold. Instead, they decided to rescue what they could. Our troops cleaned out the terrorists with what Brig. Gen. Vince Brooks - one of the Army's rising stars - termed "very focused kinetic effects." And the Cavalry charged in: the 2nd Infantry Division's 1-14 Cav, OPCON - Army-speak for "on loan" - to the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade. During the mounted segment of the patrol, I asked Gen. Brooks - who stood tall in a Stryker's hatch beside me - if he worried about a surge in al Qaeda incidents in the remaining weeks before Gen. David Petraeus reports to Congress. Brooks realizes how badly the terrorists yearn to embarrass us, handing ammunition to the just-quit camp. But he told me we'd just broken a key al Qaeda network that was planning dramatic eve-of-testimony strikes. Other terrorists might still manage to stage attacks, but the organization's spinal column was broken. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2007-09-01 15:09 |
| #5 AP Says August Deadliest Month for Iraqis Since Surge And my niece's 3rd birthday was her most recent birthday since her 2nd birthday. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2007-09-01 14:11 |
| #4 the A/P, alReuters and the like are in absolute overdrive to support the Jihadis. Headlines like this are damn near PLEADING for more civilian deaths!! F**k 'em all!! |
| Posted by: Justrand 2007-09-01 11:07 |
| #3 The number I read of 2004 and 2005 killed and long term prisoners was over 25,000/year. Since the US is holding over 20,000 (even after releases), 15,000 killed/year is a good working figure. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-09-01 09:00 |
| #2 The other day in a speech Bush dropped a number of AIF killed this year that was an order of magnitude higher than the tally Chuck keeps - I wonder if it was another Bush lie (mistake) or if we (& others - red on red) might actually be killing 15,000 per year rather than 1500. If 15,000 then these civilian death numbers are a bit more acceptable for now. Furthermore, I am pretty sure some of the Mehdi Army executions of 'civilians' are specific actions against (perceived) ex-Baath criminals - maybe guys like Sayed on Lost. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-09-01 08:42 |
| #1 Why, it is almost as if the enemy attacked soft targets in order to statistically distort the outcome of the surge. And that is just AP, I am sure the insurgents are happy about the outcome too. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-09-01 07:35 |