McClatchy Notices Rising Iraq Violence

<div class="mini gray">Illustration by: Matt Mahurin</div>

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<p>I love McClatchy. They do great work. But I kind of have to point out that almost<a title="couple weeks after the Indy" href="../../../view/security-gains-from" id="e_ng"> two weeks after the Wash Indy</a> reported, using stats from Multinational Force-Iraq, that violence in Iraq is on the rise again, McClatchy has a <a title="piece" href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/27346.html" id="emwo">piece</a> headlined &quot;Is Violence On The Rise Again In Iraq?&quot; Reporter Steve Lannen doesn’t use any such question mark in his lede:</p>

<blockquote>Violence is increasing in Iraq, raising questions about whether the security improvements credited to the increase in U.S. troops may be short-lived.

<p>Car bombs in Baghdad on Monday killed at least 11 people and injured a prominent leader of one of the country’s most influential American-allied tribal militias. …</p>

<p>After months of declining violence, February is certain to be the third straight month to see increases in the numbers of Baghdad residents killed in car bombings and suicide attacks.</p>

<p>According to statistics kept by McClatchy, the low point in such killings came in November, when 76 people died. Thanks to a pair of pet market bombings that killed 99 people Feb. 1, February’s tally already is 131.</p>

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