Casualties Continue to Drop in Iraq
Posted on October 14, 2007
Its getting more difficult for the left to dispute. Do we have a pattern yet? Sure to go under-reported:
In September, Iraqi civilian deaths were down 52 percent from August and 77 percent from September 2006, according to the Web site icasualties.org. The Iraqi Health Ministry and the Associated Press reported similar results. U.S. soldiers killed in action numbered 43 — down 43 percent from August and 64 percent from May, which had the highest monthly figure so far this year. The American combat death total was the lowest since July 2006 and was one of the five lowest monthly counts since the insurgency in Iraq took off in April 2004.
During the first 12 days of October the death rates of Iraqis and Americans fell still further. So far during the Muslim month of Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 and ends this weekend, 36 U.S. soldiers have been reported as killed in hostile actions. That is remarkable given that the surge has deployed more American troops in more dangerous places and that in the past al-Qaeda has staged major offensives during Ramadan. Last year, at least 97 American troops died in combat during Ramadan. Al-Qaeda tried to step up attacks this year, U.S. commanders say — so far, with stunningly little success.
Gateway Pundit has charts
Don Surber ties it with Hillary lies.
The Post notes the lack of “attention” given to the improving numbers, but never asks why this story hasn’t gotten more press. The same agencies that reserve room on the front page for endless Blackwater stories somehow can’t find room to report on military progress in Iraq — and political progress as well. Somehow the story becomes much less interesting to editors when the American military reverses violent trends, starts saving lives, and starts beating terrorists.
That’s not just a lack of attention, as in someone simply neglecting a wire service output. Those are deliberate editorial decisions to ignore or deprioritize news that shows the progress of Petraeus and the surge. Referring to these deliberate decisions as a “lack of attention” is equivalent to calling Petraeus’ critics “wrong” rather than “exposed for what they are”.
More good news at Hot Air
Nice roundup at Wizbang
» Filed Under News, War On Terror
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