Bloodshed Down in Iraq

[The Spartan]

Link

The Bush administration is starving for good news out of Iraq, and it may finally have some: new U.S. government statistics showing that violent attacks of all kinds are down to levels not seen since 2005. But until recently, the administration appears to have resisted acknowledging a key element of the new data, because it flies in the face of President George W. Bush's ongoing rhetorical confrontation with Iran's clerical regime. According to three senior U.S. officials, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, the decline in Iraq violence also includes a decrease in the number of attacks attributable to insurgents backed or armed by Iran. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell confirmed to NEWSWEEK that "there has indeed been a drop" in such attacks, but he added that "it's not entirely clear what the reason for that is."

Overall trends show a significant drop in violence over the last several months, according to previously unpublished military statistics obtained by NEWSWEEK. During a single week in mid-September, attacks in Iraq totaled about 900—down from about 1,700 a week in June. The number of attacks increased slightly in late September and early October during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. But according to the statistics, the just-ended Ramadan holiday was significantly less violent this year than in the previous two years.

The crucial question is, why? Administration spokesmen have publicly attributed the decline in violence to the success of the administration's troop "surge" policies as well as military operations against Al Qaeda in Iraq. Other factors include improvements to Iraqi security forces and growing revulsion among Sunni tribal leaders over jihadi attacks on their communities. The decline in Iranian-backed violence is harder to explain—and despite the new data, some officers on the ground in Baghdad still aren't buying it. But officials back in Washington cite numerous possible reasons for the turnaround. Multiple sources suggest that U.S. operations against Iranian influence—which have included rounding up alleged Iranian operatives and Iranian-backed insurgents—have taken "quite a bite" out of insurgent cells and supply networks, one official says. Another factor could be that the insurgents have decided to wage fewer attacks. Multiple officials note that radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has close ties with Iran, recently ordered his militia to settle down. It's also possible, two U.S. officials say, that Iranian leaders are responding to diplomatic lobbying from the Iraqi government and scaling back some of their support for the insurgency.

No one in Washington believes that Iran-fomented violence has ceased to be a problem. A senior official noted that a recent arms convoy seized in Herat, Afghanistan, and destined for Taliban rebels, contained IED components similar to those seized earlier in Baghdad and southern Iraq. U.S. officials believe that the Herat consignment originated with elements from Iran's Revolutionary Guard. They concede, however, that they do not know how high up in the Iranian government authorization for the shipment came from or whether it was part of a high-level Iranian strategy to bleed U.S. forces in the region.

I find it amusing that tWat can't harp on this as much as he would like because it would undermine his rhetoric directed at Iran.

Now if it would only last. Though, frankly, I doubt it will.

[Stravo]

Great news, but how fucked is this administration that they're finally getting good news and it undermines everything they're saying about Iran waging an undeclared war against the US? It's like they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. Frankly I can't wait for this administration to get the hell out of here because they keep trying to pound the war drums on Iran and they've dusted off the same old arguments and fear mongering that got us into Iraq in the first place. No thank you.

[Sidewinder]

The Bush administration is starving for good news out of Iraq, and it may finally have some: new U.S. government statistics showing that violent attacks of all kinds are down to levels not seen since 2005. But until recently, the administration appears to have resisted acknowledging a key element of the new data, because it flies in the face of President George W. Bush's ongoing rhetorical confrontation with Iran's clerical regime.

Someone put the President in a fucking drug rehab program, PLEASE. If he gets high on one more fucking "WAR IS COOL! WOO-HOO!" trip, millions more people-- including many of my close friends-- will suffer for his fucking addiction to whatever the fuck he's smoking/snorting/injecting.

[Chardok]

I think it was John Stewart that said something like: Yay! Casualties are down from Abhorrent levels to merely unacceptable!

[Darth Wong]

Back in 2005, they were saying that they had turned a corner. I guess they've come back around that corner, so they should be congratulated.

[Tribun]

Did they even read the numbers for this year?
Even isurgents need a downtime, happened in every year. Since nothing actually changes, they will be back in due time, wait and see.
Still two months to go, and already the year is bloodier than the last.