Benchmarks: Better week in Iraq

United Press International ^ | Sept. 9, 2005 | MARTIN SIEFF

[libstripper]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- The news from Iraq this past week was overshadowed by the flood catastrophe in New Orleans and Louisiana, and that was ironic: Because for the first time in months, trends across the board were largely positive.

Compared with the previous week when almost a thousand people were crushed or drowned in a panic stampede on the Aimma Bridge over the Tigris River in Baghdad, almost any news would have sounded good by comparison. But the figures for U.S. troops killed and wounded -- the latter figure in many respects a more statistically broad and revealing indicator on how the insurgency is faring -- were both significantly down. And the number of Iraqi police and troops killed showed a welcome fall too

[libstripper]

I've noted this trend in a couple of comments I have posted today. It looks like we might actually getting a handle on this thing.

[Dog]

We are taking it to the terrorists along the border.

Its like football the other team can't score if you control the ball on their side of the 50 the whole second half.

[trek]

I have different point of view. This "lull" is proof that the media are killing our troops. The "insurgents" know that they cannot break through the Katrina coverage right now. So they are not risking their assets.

I will say it out right. The way the media cover the war is killing our troops. The events cited in the article prove it.

[ChadGore]

One down, 52 to go.

[frankjr]

I agree. There was another story earlier this week that the economy was doing great but Katrina will ruin that. The economy has been doing well for quite a while and there have been many successes in the war, but the media chose to ignore them. They figure they can slip a couple of good news stories in now.

[359Henrie]

I was thinking along those lines myself.

[Wiz]

I agree with the news. The statistics show a curve of casualties of Iraq security force decreasing which has once continued to increase since April. Since June, the increase has deccelerated, and began to decrease in August. The numbers may vary, but current average of casualties per day of Iraq security force is lower than August. If this trend continues, this probably indicates the terrorists are fighting at maximum capacity and is shrinking. On the other hand, US armed force casualties have increased last month. Two incidents which killed up to 20 have pushed the casualties upward. In recent weeks, the casualties of US Armed Force dropped. Overall, the casualties of coalition force may continue to decline if this trend continues as terrorists suffers from its loss. However, there has been unrest in south regions for British force being attacked by IEDs. Al Qaida of Iraq has decided more attacks against British force in the south. In the future, the coalition force may have to wipe out the terrorists in southern regions once again, which the British force is unlikely to do.

[Wiz]

ping

[LS]

I don't think it's coincidental: ALL the attacks in Iraq are not intended to change IRAQI opinion, but to affect US opinion, and so when the news isn't on them, they lay off.

[Allegra]

It looks like we might actually getting a handle on this thing.

We've had a handle on it for a long time. The media just hasn't been on board.

I've been saying all along that the time would come where the media wouldn't be able to suppress the good news coming out of Iraq. Maybe that time is coming...