We've been waiting to hear some official assessment of the progress of the two-week old security crackdown in Baghdad. We finally get one, and it's not a ray of sunshine:
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said the overwhelming security operation launched two weeks ago to rein in violence in Baghdad was moving more slowly than hoped."It's going to take some time. We do not see an upward trend. We … see a slight decrease but not of the degree we would like to see at this point," he said at a news conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone.
The numbers bear out Caldwell's measured words. One hundred and fifty-four civilians and military personnel were reported killed in Baghdad over the two-week period of the security initiative, based on news reports compiled by the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. This does indeed mark a decrease from the 190 civilians and military slain over the previous thirteen days in June. Any downward trend in the slaughter rate is good news, but it is tempered by the fact that it took a combined 75,000 Iraqi and American troops to effect it - a massive application of force that cannot be extended indefinitely. In the wake of the elimination of terror kingpin Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the military had doubtless hoped to make great inroads quickly against the insurgency. As the numbers bear out, that hasn't happened.
(Dutifully cross-posted...)
Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.
blog comments powered by Disqus