The Discerning Texan
All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke
-- Edmund Burke
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Civilian deaths in Iraq down dramatically
Some measured good news from Iraq, one month into full "surge" mode (h/t Instapundit):
The combat death figures can hardly be considered good news, but it is understandable; this increase is directy attributable to our forces moving into forward positions and engaging in direct combat against Al Qaeda and Shiite militias. This was almost an inevitable outcome from getting directly involved in combat operations along with Iraqi forces. But the fact that civilian deaths are down indicates definite progress.
I think we are winning this thing on the ground; the question is if we can get the Iraqi politicians to come down off their high horses and play ball.
And when it comes from McClatchy newspapers, you know it must be genuine, or they wouldn't print it. A two-thirds drop in the civilian casualty rate in and around Baghdad. Funny, I wouldn't have had that impression from the daily coverage over the last month. They've been focusing on the rise in military casualties, which were always anticipated with the current surge.Civilian deaths decreasing
By Mike Drummond - McClatchy NewspapersBAGHDAD -- Iraqi civilian deaths in Baghdad dropped significantly in June, a possible indication that recent American military operations around the country and raids on car-bomb shops in the "belts" ringing the capital are starting to pay off.
But June also marked the end of the bloodiest quarter for U.S. troops since the war began in March 2003.
Unofficial figures compiled by McClatchy Newspapers' show 189 Iraqis, including police and government security forces, were killed in the capital through Friday, a drop of almost two thirds since this year's high in February, when 520 were killed. The average monthly death toll of Iraqis in Baghdad was 410 from December through May.
The combat death figures can hardly be considered good news, but it is understandable; this increase is directy attributable to our forces moving into forward positions and engaging in direct combat against Al Qaeda and Shiite militias. This was almost an inevitable outcome from getting directly involved in combat operations along with Iraqi forces. But the fact that civilian deaths are down indicates definite progress.
I think we are winning this thing on the ground; the question is if we can get the Iraqi politicians to come down off their high horses and play ball.
Labels: Iraq, War strategy, War Successes
