Analysis: U.S. losing ground in Iraq war ( Knight Ridder newspapers say...)

Seattle Times ^ | Sunday, January 23, 2005 | Tom Lasseter and Jonathan S. Landay

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Graph references a "Brookings institute Iraq Index"

lets do some research:

Iraq Index

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IRAQ INDEX
Tracking Reconstruction and Security
in Post-Saddam Iraq

Iraq Index PDF

Download a PDF version of all charts which includes complete source information.
(PDF-357kb)

The index will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Iraq Index is a statistical compilation of economic and security data. This resource will provide updated information on various criteria, including crime, telephone and water service, troop fatalities, unemployment, Iraqi security forces, oil production, and coalition troop strength.

The index is designed to quantify the rebuilding efforts and offer an objective set of criteria for benchmarking performance. It is the first in-depth, non-partisan assessment of American efforts in Iraq, and is based primarily on U.S. government information. Although measurements of progress in any nation-building effort can never be reduced to purely quantitative data, a comprehensive compilation of such information can provide a clearer picture and contribute to a healthier and better informed debate.

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Related Research
Afghanistan Index

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Michael O'Hanlon spearheads the Iraq Index project at Brookings, with assistance from Senior Research Assistant Adriana Lins de Albuquerque. O'Hanlon is a Foreign Policy Studies senior fellow and served on a U.S. government delegation to Iraq to review post-war progress.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Trying to set up a link directly to the PDF:

Brookings Institute Iraq Index

OK that seems to work!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #42.....

Getting interesting....

I think Reuters is cherry picking the data.....see pg3...

A big peak in Nov and Dec then a sharp drop off into Jan....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

• U.S. military fatalities from hostile acts have risen from an average of about 17 per month just after President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, 2003, to an average of 82 per month.

A Lie....Look at Jan....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Need help with this PDF document....

[Blind Eye Jones]

"First, that a drumbeat of pessimism and doom has reached a climax just prior to the elections, and second, that the intensity and violence of the terror campaign has done so on precisely the same beat. They are, in fact, two fingers belonging to the very same hand."

If, as you say, these are two fingers belonging to the same hand, who's hand is it? Evil's hand? Is this a cosmic battle of good vs. evil? Just curious...

[Darkwolf377]

Thanks for the info.

[Darkwolf377]

Does January's total skew the @ twenty month average?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think they calculated the averages thru December and don't want to count Jan cause it will dramatically change their story.... look at the steep drop off ....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ping!

[Darkwolf377]

Imagine my surprise that they drop the latest (and most pertinent to the election) number which would (albeit slightly) lower the average.

BTW I don't know if anyone posted it, but on the ticker on CNN today (NOT a story) it was reported that Afghanistan's poppie (heroin) pruduction was down 30-70% (!) last year due to the US crackdown. Funny, all we heard in 2002-2003 was how production was back to normal after the invasion... Guess they aren't trumpeting this info out of a simple error.

[DoughtyOne]

Well they can hope can't they? LOL

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

When you see a piece like this one.....their is no doubt that someone has an agenda...

[vbmoneyspender]

I don't even pay attention to these media reports anymore. The Iraq war was won months ago after our troops decimated Sadr's militia while at the same time convincing the Shiites in Najaf and Karbala that we were the good guys. Right there that sealed the deal This whole thing that is going on with the Sunnis is meaningless at this point. All one has to do is look at the math to figure that out. The Sunnis are only 15% of the population and they going up against the Shiites and Kurds who are now well-armed. At this point, it is simply impossible for the Sunnis to prevail. All they can do is go out with bang by blowing up civilians and the few remaining police stations that are left that haven't yet figured out how to protect themselves against car bombs.

[Darkwolf377]

I agree all the way. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be open to all sorts of criticism on the occupation--even if it's illegit, it gives us an opportunity to research the charges.

[Eagle Eye]

Some stats I have show 951 combat deaths from March 03-Nov 04 at about 44 per month.

Does that help?

[shamusotoole]

Another view of casualty stats is available here:

http://icasualties.org/oif_a/Lunaville.htm

It may put things in a different perspective.

[varon]

Instead of just saying "Nononononononono!"...are these stats true?

Now you've gone and done it. You inserted a logical question into the brewing cauldron of emotional 'talking point' responses!

[ForGod'sSake]

..it gives us an opportunity to research the charges.

Any "charges" from the MSM are to be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism......all of 'em. They are our enemies. You should know that by now. You want to give 'em quarter, have at it. As for me, they are guilty until proven innocent. They have put themselves in that position, not me.

Do you think traitor is too strong a term for the MSM?

FGS

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Do you think traitor is too strong a term for the MSM?

NO!!!