Pentagon admits Iraq violence getting worse -- 1,000 attacks per week

Ever since President Bush's troop surge was implemented last February, Baghdad has seen a temporary decrease in attacks.  But because the surge was concentrated in the Iraqi capital, insurgents moved elsewhere.  A new Pentagon report, described this morning in the New York Times, shows that violence as increased outside of Baghdad:

“Violence has decreased” in Baghdad and in Anbar Province, which havelong been the country’s most violent areas, “but has increased in mostprovinces, particularly in outlying areas around Baghdad and in Ninevaand Diyala Provinces.” Attacks have also increased in Basra Province inthe south, because of fighting between rival Shiite militants, some ofwhom fled Baghdad because of the security crackdown, it added.

Although precise data are not included in the report, attacks oncivilians and Iraqi and American troops increased by 2 percent from theprevious quarter, the report said. The average number of attacks hasexceeded 1,000 per week since the beginning of this year through earlyMay, the highest level since the American invasion in 2003, it said.

Even the decrease in violence in Baghdad may be temporary, the report noted.

The violence is not showing any signs of letting up.  In response to the attack on Wednesday at a Shiite mosque in Samarra, at least three Sunni mosques have been hit over the last 24 hours.

Comments

[granny]

Are the people running things in (and for) this country really this stupid?

They thought all those guerilla fighters were just going to sit in their local neighborhoods and let us shoot them?

HELLO?
Anybody home?

Has anybody read a history book?

[Chief Editor: Todd]

Exactly, Granny!

"Hello, anyone home? Think McFly, think!"

It's common sense. If someone was coming in to kill you, wouldn't you move out of the area? See, and this shows that the war cannot be won militarily. We need to give the Iraqis a political reason to fight the insurgents. The problem is many of the Iraqis, including those in the government, ARE THE INSURGENTS!!! That's why it's a lost cause. The Sunni wing of the Iraqi government sponsored terrorism a few days ago when that mosque was bombed. This is a corrupt government. We have given them 4 years to reach a consensus, and they have not. So does that mean we continue to stay the course?

[granny]

"Consensus" ?!?

Members of the parliament sending their body guards to do bodily harm to members of the opposition, the Speaker thrown out, then threatening to SUE the government... Oh please.

Are people not watching this?

We are sending our youngsters over there to "protect" this process?

While this group of historical enemies, whose country it actually is, are sitting behind closed doors, STILL trying to kill each other, as they have since the beginning of time, our kids are being killed in the streets!

Putting them in suits and ties doesn't make them different people. They're shooting at EACH OTHER. Why do our boys have to be there to get caught in the cross fire, while waiting for the "settlement" of disputes that have not been settled for thousands years?!

Through our unilateral invasion of their country, their art & their archaelogical history (which is essentially the history of mankind - and an irreplacable treasure that belonged to the world)is destroyed, their country a rubble filled battle ground, their innocent citizens dead, the land is a wasteland, Hussein is dead. But they are still who they are!

We have made nothing "better".

What is it we really want?

The one thing, that we absolutely cannot have, is that they become different people.

Leave them alone and come home!