Tell the Truth About Iraq
President Obama said last night that civilian deaths in Iraq “remain very low compared to what was going on last year.” McClatchy:
“„But statistics kept by McClatchy show that in Baghdad alone, more than 200 people have been killed in attacks so far this month, compared with 99 last month and 46 in February, according to a McClatchy count.
“„The last time McClatchy recorded more than 200 civilian deaths in one month in the capital was more than a year ago, in March 2008.
hat’s via Juan Cole. The trend lines for violence in Iraq are moving upward. What was true for Bush is true for Obama: devising responsible approaches to Iraq require a firm handling of the facts involved, not wishful thinking and not impressions shaped months or years ago. My understanding from administration Iraq-hands is that the trend they’re watching is the relationship between the violence and the country’s political fault lines. Right now they don’t perceive one. But how could the violence *not *impact Iraqi politics?
