A 20 July 2007 Reuters story titled EXCLUSIVE-Daily attacks in Iraq hit new high in June, based on the Administration's own DoD reports, paints a far different picture.
Attacks in Iraq last month reached their highest daily average since May 2003, showing a surge in violence as President George W. Bush completed a buildup of U.S. troops, Pentagon statistics show.
The data, obtained by Reuters from the Defense Department, showed an upward trend in daily attacks over the past four months, when U.S. and Iraqi forces were ramping up operations against insurgents and militants, including al Qaeda, in Iraq.
Again, from TPM:
There were a total of 5,335 attacks against coalition troops, Iraqi security forces, civilians and infrastructure in June, for a daily average of 177.8 attacks per day, the highest since Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech more than four years ago.
Now, the administration hasn't responded to this report yet, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the spin: an increase in attacks is good news because it shows the enemy lashing out in desperation. We've got 'em on the run.
Of course, if the number of attacks had dropped considerably this, too, would be good news, because it would be proof that the administration's policies were having a positive effect. And of the number of attacks had stayed the same, this would also be good news, because a
leveling off would reflect a "cooling" period, harkening a new period of stability after growing tensions throughout 2007.
That's the fun thing about listening to the White House -- the president's policy always right, facts be damned.
I can't say it better than that.
21 July 2007
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