Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Friday, September 08, 2006
How's That Operation Going?
Remember the ballyhooing about the military operation to secure Baghdad?
The NYT, WP, and LAT stuff word that the Baghdad's morgue preliminary estimate of the violent deaths in August was off by almost 1,000 people. U.S. and Iraqi officials had cited the figure as evidence that their security operations were working. The preliminary number set the number of violent deaths in Baghdad at 550, but yesterday authorities said the number was actually 1,536. Regardless, the number is still less than the 1,855 deaths reported in July. The WP helpfully mentions that many of those who die violently in Baghdad do not end up in the morgue and are not included in the figure.
I'm reminded of the old joke. Do you know how you can tell if the administration is lying?

Their mouths move.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan continues to boil:
Buried in the last line of the NYT's and LAT's stories about Iraq is news that the U.S. military announced yesterday the death of two U.S. soldiers and a Marine as a result of hostile fire. The LAT catches news of an explosion near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Early morning wire reports say a driver with a car full of explosives killed at least least 10 people, including two American soldiers.
More here. With the new base of operations in Talibanistan, don't be surprised to see the Afghan story become more prominent in the next year.
Written at 9:41 AM by Greyhair.
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