October 01, 2007

Civilian And Military Deaths Down In Iraq

The number of violent deaths in Iraq has fallen to the lowest levels since February 2006, according to new reports from the Iraqi government and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The number of Iraqi civilians killed in September dropped to 884, less than half of the August count. That makes September the least violent month in Iraq since the bombing of the Golden Mosque, a sacred Shiite religious site, in February 2006 that set off waves of sectarian violence across the country.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 commander of U.S.-led forces in Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad in late September that there has been a 50-percent drop in violence in Baghdad since January "and the trend continues to be down."

September also saw the fewest U.S. military casualties in Iraq since July 2006. According to USA Today, 63 soldiers were killed in September, 41 in combat, down from 84 in August (although AFP reports 71 deaths).

U.S. commanders attribute the decline in violence to the surge strategy, which has seen an influx of 30,000 U.S. troops into Iraq since February (although most were not in place until May). They claim that more of Baghdad's neighborhoods are now free of enemy activity and that the military has been successful in targeting al-Qaida in Iraq and preventing large-scale terrorist attacks.

"We've done a very good job on al-Qaida," said Brig. Gen. John Campbell, an assistant commander for the U.S. division in Baghdad. "I think we've got them on the run."

However, the last several days of September saw an upswing in attacks, in what some are calling a new offensive by al-Qaida. In one of the most significant attacks, Sunni and Shiite leaders attending a reconciliation meeting in Baquba were targeted in a double suicide bombing that left at least 21 dead.

This, along with a continued failure by the Baghdad government to reach a political reconciliation, has led critics of the Bush administration's policy to question whether the recent gains can be maintained without a sustained, heavy presence of U.S. troops.

Posted at 10:57 AM
Posted to: Iraq, Middle East, Military
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