Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Monday, August 28, 2006
Quote of the Day
Kool aid drinker in chief:
"In "Iraq, we'll never be in civil war. What you see is an atmosphere of reconciliation."
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, citing the Baghdad public safety campaign, on CNN yesterday.

Facts on the ground via Juan Cole:
The LA Times reports that at least 80 Iraqis were killed in the country's low-intensity civil war on Sunday. This article says that killings are down substantially in Baghdad itself, what with thousands of US and Iraqi troops making security sweeps through the most dangerous neighborhoods. The first question is whether the decline in deaths in Baghdad (which is only relative) has been offset by violence in Mosul, Baqubah and elsewhere. The second question is whether the violence will remain lower when the sweeps end, as inevitably they will. Can the Iraqi troops take over at that point and continue to be effective against the guerrillas? My guess is, "no." In which case the US "Battle for Baghdad" is just a delaying tactic, putting off the day when the west of the capital falls altogether into the hands of the Sunni Arab guerrillas. If that happened, the Green Zone might not be far behind.

Prime Minister Maliki had the misfortune to come on US television noonish on Sunday and pronounce that violence is lessening in Iraq.

The LA Times reported 6 troops killed or announced dead on Sunday.
Written at 9:21 AM by Greyhair.
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