"A Recent Surge In Violence..."

[EarlG]

This morning I learned that Pentagon officials have said that force levels in Iraq would not be cut "anytime soon," apparently because of a "recent surge in violence" sweeping Iraq. But what struck me most about that news was votesomemore's response in this thread claiming that, "There is ALWAYS a 'recent surge in violence.'"

That got me thinking. Is there always a "recent surge in violence" in Iraq? I Googled the phrase, and discovered that the answer to the question is, well, yes.

There are a few notable periods where violence is not reported as a "recent surge," (for example, Nov 2003 - Mar 2004) and there are a few notable periods where the violence is much worse (for example, May 2005).

But overall, it appears that there is a "recent surge in violence" reported in Iraq pretty much every few weeks.

Bear in mind that these results were just Googled with the phrase "recent surge in violence." If anyone wants to try "recent wave of violence" I'm sure you'll be able to fill in the gaps.

Oh, and one more thing: when you get down to the part where General George Casey calls the January 2006 "recent surge in violence" an "anomaly," try not to fall out of your chair.

2003

September 3, 2003: Meanwhile, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac were to meet in Germany on Thursday to discuss ways for the West to respond to the recent surge in violence in Iraq and the Middle East.

October 31, 2003: Ansar is believed to be channelling into Iraq the foreign fighters who are behind a recent surge in violence in the country, officials say.

November 3, 2003: Bush blamed loyalists to ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and foreign terrorists for the recent surge in violence in Iraq.

2004

March 4, 2004: A wave of bomb attacks in Baghdad and Karbala killing at least 171 people earlier this week has highlighted the difficulties in rebuilding the country and restoring peace. But Mr Blair, speaking after a meeting in Rome with his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, said the recent surge in violence in Iraq did not constitute civil war.

April 14, 2004: U.S. President George W. Bush held a major news conference at the White House on 13 April in the middle of the deadliest month for Americans in Iraq since Baghdad fell a year ago. He spoke of the recent surge in violence there, but urged his countrymen not to lose faith. He also said he would adhere to the 30 June deadline for handing over sovereignty to Iraqis.

April 15, 2004: Pace said the recent surge in violence in Iraq is being driven by "terrorists" who see the June 30 deadline for turnover of sovereignty approaching rapidly and are petrified by the promise of democracy.

April 26, 2004: Lt. Gen. David Barno, the top American commander in Afghanistan, said Monday that the military has seen a recent surge in violence, but that most attacks were directed against soft targets, such as civilians or isolated Afghan security outposts.

May 12, 2004: Despite the prison abuse scandal and the recent surge in violence in Iraq, a majority of the public (53%) continues to support keeping troops in Iraq until a stable government is established

May 25, 2004: In his speech to the Army War College here, Bush warned that "there are difficult days ahead and the way forward may sometimes appear chaotic." Yet he vowed the handover would take place on schedule and that the US-led coalition would not be defeated by insurgents blamed for the recent surge in violence.

June 24, 2004: Compelled by the recent surge in violence, US Central Command (CentCom) has informally asked Army planners for as many as 25,000 more troops in Iraq, the Baltimore Sun reports.

July 22, 2004: Despite a recent surge in violence, including kidnappings, car bombings and assassinations, senior U.S. and Iraqi officials gave a relatively optimistic assessment on Wednesday of the security situation in Iraq since the transfer of political authority from U.S. to Iraqi authorities June 28.

July/August, 2004: In the short term, ongoing help will be required with the maintenance of security within the country. The response to the recent surge in violence must emphasise political solutions and not be just a simple deployment of military power.

September 9, 2004: "The recent surge in violence has been especially surprising because in the weeks after the transfer of power there was a phase that, for Iraq, felt to some almost like a lull."

September 17, 2004: The assessments, made before the recent surge in violence in Iraq and the US military death toll there topping 1000, appear to conflict with Bush's upbeat description of the US-led effort to stabilise and democratise Iraq.

September 22, 2004: The Iraqi leader also said that despite a recent surge in violence in Iraq, it is "very important for the people of the world really to know that we are winning, we are making progress in Iraq, we are defeating terrorists."

December 18, 2004: Mosul has experienced a recent surge in violence. On Friday, a car carrying Turkish security guards was attacked in the city, in Iraq's far north near the Turkish border, and four people were killed, one of them decapitated.

2005

January 4, 2005: The incident marks the most senior assassination since the death in May of Governing Council president Abd al-Zahra Uthman Muhammad and should be seen within the context of the recent surge in violence ahead of national and provincial elections slated for 30 January.

January 17, 2005: The area around Kut has seen a recent surge in violence. In a separate attack, two Iraqi provincial government auditors were shot to death late Sunday after armed gunmen stopped their car in Suwaira, about 25 miles southeast of Baghdad, an official at a Kut hospital said.

March 2, 2005: Most of the victims were Shiites, the targets of a recent surge in violence, most notably a series of suicide bombings and other attacks that killed nearly 100 people during the Shiite religious commemoration known as Ashoura.

April 27, 2005: But he added it was too early to say if a recent surge in violence amounted to a concerted campaign, and insisted that US-backed forces were "winning".

May 10, 2005: The most-recent poll, conducted by CNN, USA Today, and Gallup, interviewed 1,006 adults between April 29 and May 1, 2005, before the recent surge in violence.

May 16, 2005: The insurgents' choice of adversary is unusual. But the recent surge in violence, at least, follows a time-tested pattern.

May 19, 2005: A senior U.S. military official told reporters Wednesday that the recent surge in violence in Iraq followed a meeting in Syria last month of associates of the Jordanian insurgent leader Abu Musab Zarqawi.

May 20, 2005: It's unclear how much of the recent surge in violence stems from tribal leaders, but as Metz points out: "Local elites recognize that in a secular, modernized Iraq, their power would be challenged."

May 23, 2005: Even despite the recent surge in violence, in some areas -- downtown Mosul, for example -- Iraqi forces have begun limited independent operations.

June 17, 2005: It is also believed to be the main hideout of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant whose al Qaeda-linked group has carried out many of the deadliest attacks in Iraq and who U.S. forces believe is behind a recent surge in violence.

June 20, 2005: Mr. President, we were told that you planned to sharpen your focus on Iraq. Why did this become necessary? And given the recent surge in violence, do you agree with Vice President Dick Cheney's assessment that the insurgency is in its last throes?

August 4, 2005: His comments came as the 15-nation council unanimously adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution condemning a recent surge in violence in Iraq that has killed hundreds, ...

August 12, 2005: But a recent surge in violence and reports of growing public hostility to the Japanese presence are prompting many to question the prospects for continued humanitarian assistance there.

September 13, 2005: It's unclear how much of the recent surge in violence stems from tribal leaders, but as Metz points out: "Local elites recognize that in a secular, modernized Iraq, their power would be challenged."

September 17, 2005: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has reportedly said the recent surge in violence is in retaliation for a coalition offensive against the group's stronghold in the northern city of Tal Afar.

October 31, 2005: The fresh U.S. effort to crack down on insurgents followed a recent surge in violence caused by the passing of the new Iraqi constitution in a referendum held earlier this month.

2006

January 7, 2006: US officials have sought to downplay a recent surge in violence that on Thursday alone claimed the lives of more than 115 Iraqis and 11 US servicemen.

January 8, 2006: The recent surge in violence is "an anomaly" and Iraq is not on the verge of civil war, the top US commander there said yesterday, after one of the country's bloodiest days since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

February 1, 2006: Recently, five other members of Congress and I sat on a C-130 transport plane surrounded by soldiers going from Kuwait to Baghdad. The backdrop is a recent surge in violence.

February 4, 2006: Dozens of bodies have been discovered in various parts of Baghdad gagged, bound and shot repeatedly in the past week, amid recent surge in violence, which analysts have repeatedly described as initial stages of an open-ended civil war between Iraq’s ethnic groups.

March 1, 2006: AP reports that he was giving an unusually frank assessment of the stakes in the country's recent surge in violence.

March 4, 2006: The top U.S. commander in Iraq said yesterday that he hopes to make an assessment this spring about whether to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq. But Pentagon officials speaking anonymously said a recent surge in violence there has dampened hopes that force levels can be cut anytime soon.

[dogday]

1. Recent surge in violence seems to be a common occurrence

great work....

[louis c]

81. What a great post

I wanted to reply so I could get to the top.

This kind of research should be commended. This thread is exactly why I come to DU and contribute money for it to continue.

Great work, indeed.

[meganmonkey]

2. Good research, Earl

Even though we are all suspicious of this sort of crap, it is helpful to have it all laid out like this.

[ooglymoogly]

91. great post, correlating with the recent surge in understanding of

this duplicitous administrations mendacity knowing no bounds

[Binka]

97. Their twisted shit does not know when to stop

They are just spitting and spouting the most outrageous crap fucking lying in wide open. Oh hello people can you not see a fucking con game?

How the fuck do the people just not see this? I could have figured this shit out when I was six.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Followed by another recent surge in bullshit from the Pentagon.

As usual.

[file83]

33. LOL!

[KainNero]

66. LOL !

But will the media put that in the papers?

[redwitch]

4. Apparently Iraq needs surge protectors.

The 40 or so "surges" you list add up to weeks, months, and well, years of violence. "Last throes of insurgency" happens with much less frequency.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. Shrub's reason for being.... sad but true.n/t

[redwitch]

6. "recent wave of violence"

google search resuted in 11,100,000 hits. Of course they are not all in Iraq. It's everywhere.
The world is apparently a very violent place and we keep adding to it.
A Department of Peace would be a necessity it seems to me, if we are to survive at all.

[Earth_First]

18. google: "recent surge of violence" "iraq"

862 hits

[VolcanoJen]

7. Shorter George Orwell

Holy crap, Earl.

[Higans]

100. Orwellian Excerpts:

O'Brien silenced him by a movement of his hand. 'We control matter because we control the mind. Reality is inside the skull. You will learn by degrees, Winston. There is nothing that we could not do. Invisibility, levitation -- anything. I could float off this floor like a soap bubble if I wish to. I do not wish to, because the Party does not wish it. You must get rid of those nineteenth-century ideas about the laws of Nature. We make the laws of Nature.'

'But you do not! You are not even masters of this planet. What about Eurasia and Eastasia? You have not conquered them yet.'

'Unimportant. We shall conquer them when it suits us. And if we did not, what difference would it make? We can shut them out of existence. Oceania is the world.'

'We control life, Winston, at all its levels. You are imagining that there is something called human nature which will be outraged by what we do and will turn against us. But we create human nature. Men are infinitely malleable. Or perhaps you have returned to your old idea that the proletarians or the slaves will arise and overthrow us. Put it out of your mind. They are helpless, like the animals. Humanity is the Party. The others are outside -- irrelevant.'

http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984

[NanceGreggs]

8. I'm skeptical, Earl ...

The 'Mission' was accomplished years ago, when we were greeted as liberators and met with sweets and flowers. The war is obviously paying for itself, as promised, the 'collateral damage' has been light, as predicted, and democracy took hold in the ME within weeks of Iraq's 'liberation'. Besides, Cheney assured us just months ago that the insurgency is in its last throes.

Are you sure your research is based on reliable sources? These facts just seem to fly in the face of everything we've been told ...

[EarlG]

13. How foolish of me!

You're right of course. Everything is peachy in Iraq - the only problem is that "Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age, but ... our country has not adapted," according to Don Rumsfeld.

We just need better propaganda, that's all.

[Clara T]

21. For Example-"Iraq Violence May Alter U.S. Troop Plans"

Iraq Violence May Alter U.S. Troop Plans
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer Fri Mar 3, 2:51 PM ET

WASHINGTON - President Bush is expected to meet with top U.S. military commanders next week, just as the escalating violence in Iraq threatens to complicate the administration's goal of withdrawing more troops this year. So far, military officials say they have made no decisions on future troop withdrawals. They say they are sticking to current plans to send additional units to Iraq later this summer, and acknowledge that a decision will have to be made soon on whether to keep some of those troops home instead.

On Friday, Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, said terrorists will continue to try to incite violence, and that will influence troop deployments.

"It certainly is something that we will consider in our decisions, but I'm not really into the process here of making decisions and so we'll see how this plays out over the coming weeks and months," said Casey, speaking to Pentagon reporters from Baghdad.

One Defense Department official said the military is waiting to see if attacks between the majority Shiite Muslims and the Sunni Arabs escalate or slack off. Military units will continue preparing to go to Iraq because it is easier to cancel deployment orders than to restart preparations if troops are suddenly needed, said the official, who requested anonymity because troop decisions have not been finalized. Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, a military spokesman in Baghdad, played down suggestions the fragile country is on the brink of civil war. He said Thursday there is a sense that this may just be another peak in the violence in Iraq, and it may not continue at the level seen in recent days.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060303/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/u...

So now it is just "Iraq" violence as if the invading force has turned into innocent bystanders while the savages go at each other. Same old song. And to quell or oversee the violence the invading force must now remain, can't leave the country to chaos can we? The propaganda is so brazen and transparent.

You can see this see-saw manipulation recur. Google "early troop withdrawal unlikely" and same story from last year comes 'round.

Cui Bono?

[wryter2000]

43. And the liberal media is contributing to the problem

They never report on all the positive things that go on in Iraq. They even had a team in the 2004 Olympics.

[LisaLynne]

9. Excellent catch.

Proving once again that the internet is a great propaganda-fighting tool. Which is why they're trying to find a way to control it and limit our access.

[Higans]

98. Correct. once they control the net, they control all of the media then....

What are we left with?

Despotism pure and simple. for more info on Despotism click here:
http://www.archive.org/details/Despotis1946

[Jara sang]

10. Propagandist agenda, information operations working overtime.

"recent surge in violence" sounds like there is a "median level" of violence which is always present in Iraq. Although, to the average American "recent surge in violence" would suggest that violence is merely sporadic and pops up only occasionally. The American public has no idea what is going on over there.

[Clara T]

11. Someone is trying to provoke a civil war- Robert Fisk

ROBERT FISK: Yeah, I listened to Bush. It made me doubt myself when I heard him say that. I still go along and say what I said before - Iraq is not a sectarian society, but a tribal society. People are intermarried. Shiites and Sunnis marry each other. It's not a question of having a huge block of people here called Shiites and a huge block of people called Sunnis any more than you can do the same with the United States, saying Blacks are here and Protestants are here and so on. But certainly, somebody at the moment is trying to provoke a civil war in Iraq. Someone wants a civil war. Some form of militias and death squads want a civil war. There never has been a civil war in Iraq. The real question I ask myself is: who are these people who are trying to provoke the civil war? Now the Americans will say it's Al Qaeda, it's the Sunni insurgents. It is the death squads. Many of the death squads work for the Ministry of Interior. Who runs the Ministry of Interior in Baghdad? Who pays the Ministry of the Interior? Who pays the militia men who make up the death squads? We do, the occupation authorities. I'd like to know what the Americans are doing to get at the people who are trying to provoke the civil war. It seems to me not very much. We don't hear of any suicide bombers being stopped before they blow themselves up. We don't hear of anybody stopping a mosque getting blown up. We're not hearing of death squads all being arrested. Something is going very, very wrong in Baghdad. Something is going wrong with the Administration. Mr Bush says, "Oh, yes, sure, I talk to the Shiites and I talk to the Sunnis." He's talking to a small bunch of people living behind American machine guns inside the so-called Green Zone, the former Republican palace of Saddam Hussein, which is surrounded by massive concrete walls like a crusader castle. These people do not and cannot even leave this crusader castle. If they want to leave to the airport, they're helicoptered to the airport. They can't even travel on the airport road. What we've got at the moment is a little nexus of people all of whom live under American protection and talk on the telephone to George W Bush who says, "I've been talking to them and they have to choose between chaos and unity." These people can't even control the roads 50 metres from the Green Zone in which they work.

<snip>

ROBERT FISK: Well, I don't know if al-Zarqawi is alive. You know, al-Zarqawi did exist before the American Anglo-American invasion. He was up in the Kurdish area, which was not actually properly controlled by Saddam. But after that he seems to have disappeared. We know there's an identity card that pops up. We know the Americans say we think we've recognised him on a videotape. Who recognises him on a videotape? How many Americans have ever met al-Zarqawi? Al-Zarqawi's mother died more than 12 months ago and he didn't even send commiserations or say "I'm sorry to hear that". His wife of whom he was very possessive is so poor she has to go out and work in the family town of Zarqa. Hence the name Zarqawi. I don't know if al-Zarqawi is alive or exists at the moment. I don't know if he isn't a sort of creature invented in order to fill in the narrative gaps, so to speak. What is going on in Iraq at the moment is extremely mysterious. I go to Iraq and I can't crack this story at the moment. Some of my colleagues are still trying to, but can't do it. It's not as simple as it looks. I don't believe we've got all these raving lunatics wandering around blowing up mosques. There's much more to this than meets the eye. All of these death squads that move around are part of the security forces. In some cases they are Shiite security forces or clearly Sunni security forces. When the Iraqi army go into Sunni cities they are Shiite soldiers going in. We are not making this clear. Iraqi troops, we've got an extra battalion. The Iraqi army is building up. The Iraqi army is split apart. Somebody is operating these people. I don't know who they are. It's not as simple as we're making it out to be. What is this thing when Bush says we have to choose between chaos and unity? Who wants to choose chaos? Is it really the case that all of these Iraqis that fought together for eight years against the Iranians, Shiites and Sunnies together in the long massive murderous Somme-like war between the Iranians and Iraqis - suddenly all want to kill each other? Why because that's something wrong with Iraqis? I don't think so. They are intelligent, educated people. Something is going seriously wrong in Baghdad.

<snip>

ROBERT FISK: Yeah, look, in August, I went into the same mortuary and found out that 1,000 people had died in one month in July. And most of those people who had died were split 50/50 between the Sunnies and the Shiites, but most of them, including women who'd been blindfolded and hands tied behind their backs - I saw the corpses - were both Sunnies and Shiites. Now, I'm not complaining that the Washington Post got it wrong - I'm sure there are massacres going on by Shiites - but I think they are going on by militias on both sides. What I'd like to know is who is running the Interior Ministry? Who is paying the Interior Ministry? Who is paying the gunmen who work for the Interior Ministry? I go into the Interior Ministry in Baghdad and I see lots and lots of armed men wearing black leather. Who is paying these guys? Well, we are, of course. The money isn't falling out of the sky. It's coming from the occupation powers and Iraqi's Government, which we effectively run because, as we know, they can't even create a constitution without the American and British ambassadors being present. We need to look at this story in a different light. That narrative that we're getting - that there are death squads and that the Iraqis are all going to kill each other, the idea that the whole society is going to commit mass suicide - is not possible, it's not logical. There is something else going on in Iraq. Don't ask me to...

<snip>

ROBERT FISK: Well, you could say the same about Syria, too, couldn't you? And, of course the Americans are also accusing Syria of supporting the insurgents or letting them cross the border. But I think it it's much more complicated than that. For example, my sources in this area, who are pretty good, tell me that the Americans have already talked to the Syrians and are trying to do a deal with them to try and get the Syrians to help them over the insurgency and the price of Syria's help, I'm told, is that the Americans will ease off on the UN committee of inquiry into the murder of ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, here in Beirut, only a few hundred metres from here, on the 14th February last year. You know, if the Americans are going to get out of Iraq - and they must get out, they will - they need the help of Iran and Syria. And I think you'll find that certain elements within the State Department are already trying to work on that. Now, we hear the rhetoric coming from Bush. I mean, he's got an absolute black-hole chaos in Iraq, he's got Afghanistan - not an inspiration to the world, it's been taken over effectively by narco warlords, many who work for Karzai, the man who's just been making jokes about the Afghan welcome for Bush - and Bush wants another conflict with Iran? I don't think the Americans are in any footing or any ability, military or otherwise, to have another war or to have another crisis in that region. They're in the deepest hole politically, militarily and economically in Iraq. The fact that the White House and the Pentagon and the State Department seem to be in a state of denial doesn't change that. We had Condoleezza Rice here - literally in that building behind me - a few days ago saying that there are great changes taking place in the Middle East - optimistically. Well, sure, there is a mosque war going on in Iraq with the Americans up to their feet in the sand, there's an Iranian crisis, or so we're told, the Saudis are frightened the Iraq war will spill over into Saudi Arabia, the Egyptians don't know how to reconcile Syria and Lebanon, there are increasing sectarian tensions here in Lebanon. You would think that someone is building what used to be called Potemkin villages, you know, these extraordinary things that Catherine the Great's court favourites use to build, facades of villages, so that everything looked nice in Russia even though things were barbarous behind the facades. I mean, this is a barbarous world we're living in now in the Middle East. It's never been so dangerous here, either for journalists or soldiers but most of all for Arabs. Hence the thousands of people in the mortuary.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12137.h...

And you'll see in news reports from this weekend "early" troop withdrawal unlikely and you can source that quote through the last year and get repeated phrase. So who benefits from continued violence? The answer is obvious. Are we willing to face it squarely?

[realFedUp]

95. What does anyone think of Fisk's implication that the American military

is stirring the pot?

[truth2power]

96. Right on the money..

The Americans are the only ones who stand to gain from the violence. As soon as that f**king bastard, Negroponte, showed up we started to hear about death squads. That guy is a convicted criminal ferchrissakes! :banghead"

[Higans]

101. Brilliant article.

Exactly why you see headlines like this one:

[Bear down under]

107. An interview with Robert Fisk this morning

by Margaret Throsby of the ABC. It's a low-key personal interview, in the "guest selects favourite music" format, but well worth hearing if you want both the best summing-up of the situation I've ever heard and to learn where the man is coming from.

I was particularly struck by his story of his being nearby when the first American soldier was shot and the fellow who did it came over and told him how proud he was, that his grandfather had shot the first British soldier during the uprising of 1922. As Fisk says, for these people the Balfour Declaration happened yesterday...

Runs for 55 minutes, including the music. You can catch it on-line here for the next week or so:

http://www.abc.net.au/classic/throsby /

The link is on the page and offers both realplayer and windows media player. While you're there you might like to hear her interview last Wednesday with Maureen Dowd.

[AwakeAtLast]

12. According to my husband it is every day, non-stop

And he is there right now. You cannot have a surge without cessation, right? This would be
the results of a war on terror, which is pretty faceless and could be anywhere (boogedy, boogedy,
BOO!). And the next MIHOP/LIHOP will be the next surge I suppose.

[ALago1]

15. I hope your husband stays safe....

n/t

[AwakeAtLast]

19. Thanks so much!

He will be here in about 10 days for a 15 day leave (I'm a little excited), and should be
home for good (crossing fingers) in June. It has been a long haul over the past 14 months.

[wryter2000]

45. I hope your husband stays safe and comes home to you soon.

We're all pulling for him. When he comes back, have him drop in and say hi.

[AwakeAtLast]

69. Thank you!

I will see if he feels like he can. He's not as much into politics as I am (yet).
We'll see what happens when he returns. Regardless, you all will definitely know
when he gets back!

[upi402]

61. Here's a tiny something from a patriotic DUer to your hubby;

Thanks.

[AwakeAtLast]

70. I appreciate all of the great support!

Everyone here has been so great in the past 13 months since my husband left. It means
a great deal to me. Thank you!

[upi402]

75. Can you tell him about our gratitude and deep respect please?

And it must be hard on those left behind.

Ya know, I really really want to respect America's commander in chief, but it's just so impossible...

[ALago1]

14. Good Work!

Goes to show how carefully choreographed their propaganda is.

[im10ashus]

16. Good work Earl!

I wonder when the "surge" will stop?

[atommom]

17. I was just wondering the same thing myself.

I suppose they're trying to minimize the amount of violence by implying that it really isn't so bad (except for those damned surges). I wish someone in the media would pick this up and run with it. Olberman? Jon Stewart? Anybody?

[leeroysphitz]

87. "someone in the media "...

It's the media who spreading the propaganda! The "recent surge" phrase isn't appearing just at press releases/ conferences. It's in the PAPER. It's on the TV. It's on the radio (on both left and right shows).

The "media" isn't going to do a story that says:

"And in other news it turns out that WE IN THE MEDIA have been spreading administration propaganda trying to smooth over the disastrous and nearly CONSTANT violence that has been taking place throughout the ENTIRE country of Iraq since the beginning of the ill conceived and illegal 2003 invasion."

If I ever read a story like that in the paper I'd have it framed...

[proud patriot]

20. Thanks EarlG

I hadn't thought of that , but it makes sense .
The amount of propaganda we get fed infuriates me .
Just documenting the dates makes it clear as a bell.

[Warren Stupidity]

22. Bubububububu.....

Our presidunce just informed us that due to the excellent situation in Iraqistan we have withdrawn troops!

Great Post. This should get archived somewhere.

[atommom]

28. How about the Research Forum?

[Arkansas Granny]

23. I was wondering how all of these recent surges in violence

correlated to the number of U. S. casualties in Iraq. The chart at this link pretty much shows that the violence and casualty numbers have been pretty much constant.

http://icasualties.org/oif/US_chart.aspx

There have been a few months that have fewer casualties and a few months where casualties have been much greater, but for the most part, the loss of American life has been at a pretty steady pace.

[ContraBass Black]

38. That was going to be my next question.

[hvn_nbr_2]

24. I think there's a surge every time we kill or capture the #2 guy. nt

[many a good man]

25. Its another example of PsyOps used against the American people

by our own government. Is this what we paid trillions of dollars to the defense establishment over the past 70 years for?

[file83]

34. To answer your question: Yes.

We have paid them to steal from us. To lie to us. I don't like paying them anymore. It hurts.

[leftchick]

26. only every month?

I swear I read it many times every week.

[girl gone mad]

27. Also, Irag has been "on the brink" of a civil war for quite some time now,

and I imagine they will continue to be "on the brink" or "on the verge", as the bodies pile up, over the years to come.

[hfojvt]

29. it's like deja vu all over again

So apparently Iraq is completely peaceful except for a recent surge of violence which repeats twice a day like the tides. Kinda like the old "live every day like it's going to be your last, and one day you will be right."

[Junkdrawer]

30. Matches the "recent surge" in permanent base construction...

and the "recent surge" in Halliburton profits.

[RagingInMiami]

31. The media is filled with cliches

And that is just one of them.

[liveoaktx]

32. Oh, that's amazing... I tend to think they orchestrated the bombings

in order to justify being in Iraq longer.

[file83]

35. There is a "surge of violence" in Iraq. There has always been

a "surge of violence" in Iraq. DoublePlusGood!

[pinto]

36. Thanks. Short attention span theater operating here and they rely on it.

Kinda reminds me of the color coded threats - they finally dropped that ruse. This is more serious though, minimizing deaths in Iraq under political cover. Good review/research, thanks.

[xchrom]

37. thanks for the research. now can we get this into the ''msm''?

anyway -- all this just goes to show this misjudgement the administration made with this invasion -- they made up the facts thinking they could control it somehow.

i don't think they think this is controlling -- though as mr fisk suggests we are paying some of these death squad goons to carry out their murderous deeds.

amazing how some of that reminds me of the good old days of guatemala and el salvador eh?
and the same people are in charge.

we pay goons to carry out nefarious deeds to some unknown end.
al least in central america the left thought they knew what the reagan admin was up to -- controling peasants for the good of american corporations.

we think it's about oil -- but with everything so messed up -- i'm not sure i know what i think beyond bushco is insane.

and now we have some serious sabre rattling with iran.

talk about things that make you hmmmm?

[democrank]

39. The day I heard

General Casey call this violence in Iraq "an anomaly" I DID almost fall out of my chair. An anomaly? Was he joking?

I guess we`re supposed to believe that things are going along reasonably well in Iraq, except for that rare occasion when there is a brief, inexplicable uptick in activity.

[kentuck]

40. Excellent report Earl G !

K & R

[Just Me]

41. All we have EVER received is a pathological onslaught of,...

,...misrepresentations of reality. This administration has engaged in intentionally misrepresenting the truth and the facts since the damn day they stole power.

I just want justice. I want those abusive, exploitative con men to PAY severe consequences for every single lie and abuse. That is my wish.

[wryter2000]

42. OMFG!

Well done. Everyone needs to see this.

[Tin Man]

44. Awesome work, EarlG !!!!

Really great stuff there!

[redphish]

46. Well damn, I should have caught that one!

[smoogatz]

47. Brilliant. You should diary this over at Kos.

It really demonstrates how consistently they've been catapulting the propaganda.

[Hissyspit]

52. I cross-posted it there under my name, giving EarlG full credit, of course

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/4/202757/7758

[Hissyspit]

53. Send to Olberman! n/t

[Catchawave]

56. I just did !

I use the email function on top of the thread and mail to [e-mail]

If a few more of us did this, they might even take a peek

[Hissyspit]

59. I did and sent it to this address, too:

[e-mail]

[Kare]

77. I did too

hopefully they will take a peek and we might hear about it.

[blue cat]

79. I will too. Thanks. n/t

[madrchsod]

48. of the 20 iraqi blog sites i have bookmarked these are the latest

http://www.roadstoiraq.com /
Baghdad Dweller

http://livesstrong.blogspot.com / a must read on what it was like before the shrine was blown up
Days of My Life

http://afreeiraqi.blogspot.com / interesting comments on the politics of iraq
Free Iraqi

http://asterism.blogspot.com / who wins and loses?
⁂ Asterism


http://iraqpics.blogspot.com / picures of iraq and it`s people
Photos From Iraq

as for the rest of the bloggers who posted during and just after, they haven`t posted anything new in days.

there isn`t a "recent surge in violence" it`s a story that the "reporters" submit when their bosses force them out of the comfort of the green zone. so when they venture out and to their amazement there is violence, "wow! there`s a recent surge in violence"

violence is an everyday occurrence in the daily lives of the iraqi people

[Hissyspit]

49. Amazing.

I'm am so ashamed of the stupidity that has overtaken my country.

"War = Peace" said Bush, and the country bought it.

[brainshrub]

50. I just submitted this to Reddit.

Political topics don't usually do very well on Reddit, but this is a very important story and it just may get enough votes to stick.

Good catch EarlG!

[Hissyspit]

51. I cross-posted this

to Daily Kos and Americablog.

Think I'll turn it into a Letter To The Editor.

[bloom]

54. well done n/t

[Wordie]

55. Excellent research, EarlG. This would make a great LTTE! Recommended.

[Clarkie1]

57. Great work! Bookmarking! n/t

[Neil Lisst]

58. US Deaths in Iraq per month, per year

2003 - 1.7 soldiers per day lost
2004 - 2.3 soldiers per day lost
2005 - 2.3 soldiers per day lost
2006 - 1.9 soldiers per day lost

Year in, year out, it's about 2 soldiers killed in Iraq per day, with no change.

http://icasualties.org/oif/

[raggedcompany]

60. *golf clap*

Well played indeed.

[Catchawave]

62. "Iraq insurgency in 'last throes,' Cheney says"

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/30/cheney.iraq /

Followed by approximately 14 "recent surges in violence"

[sutz12]

111. "insurgency in last throes" (only) 324 hits. nt

[MindMatter]

63. "Recent surge in peace"

Google sez:
Your search - "Recent surge in peace" iraq - did not match any documents.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

64. Excellent work. Very telling. nt

[KainNero]

65. You know

that is a LOT of RECENT surges of violence /sarcasm

[Lithos]

67. Very nice work, sir!

To me one of the takeaways is that this type of consistency comes from a single source, in this case the Pentagon. So, sounds like the liberal media is taking it's marching orders from the Pentagon. Wow, Rumsfeld is a progessive? Who'da thunk it?

L-

[Clara T]

68. Just a Little "Uptick"

[Lindacooks]

71. Please, please, PLEASE send this to Olbermann and John Stewart!

And Steven Colbert and Dr. Dean! This is EXACTLY the kind of thing they love and it is simply perfect!!! Thank you for this!!

[L0oniX]

72. "A Recent Surge In Chimp Speak"

Thanks for putting this together EarlG. Articles like this are why I come to this site. "recent surge in violence" = American gov social media terrorism... wow I am scared now. >

[Beelzebud]

73. Great Work!!! Why doesn't the media catch this type of crap?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

74. Nearly 40 "recent surges" in three years

[Generic Other]

76. 1000% surge in the level of BS...

Wow. That's amazing.

[MessiahRp]

78. At what point does it stop being an actual "surge"?

That's what this has me wondering...

There's like five articles just in May of 2005... Doesn't a surge mean something like an unexpected uptick, not a steady stream?

Just wondering if Republicans are aware what a dictionary is.

Ah hell, why would they need those anyways? They make up their own facts.

Rp

[annabanana]

80. we may have to alter the dictionaries..."surge"

doesn't seem to mean what it once did.

(also, we may have to excise "ebb")

[leftchick]

82. 3/5/06... "recent surge of sectarian killings "

they modified the script a little. Hmmmm....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060305/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Pressure mounted Sunday on Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to give up his bid for a new term amid anger over a recent surge of sectarian killings that has complicated already snarled negotiations on a new Iraqi government.


The delay in forming a government has prevented parliament from meeting since it was elected Dec. 15. But Kurdish and some Shiite officials said Sunday it should be ready to convene within days.

<snip>

U.S. officials say a unity government that includes all Iraq's ethnic and religious communities is essential for stabilizing the country and allowing U.S. and other coalition forces to start pulling out in the summer.

As the largest bloc in parliament, the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance gets the first chance to form a government, but it does not have sufficient seats to do so on its own.

[atommom]

83. Are "sectarian killings" easier for the public to handle than "violence"?

Do they mean to make it sound as if those who were killed were just picking fights with each other over minor things? It's a short leap from that to saying that it was their own fault.

[NewJeffCT]

88. 'sectarian' must have polled well

I'm sure Frank Luntz (is that his name?) has this polled and re-polled a thousand times.

[MindMatter]

84. Recent surge in soldiers needing help with PTSD

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[MindMatter]

85. Recent surge in "killings with sectarian overtones"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-ira...

See. It isn't really violence, and it isn't really sectarian. Just overtones.

[MindMatter]

86. No, wait, it isn't sectarian

It is "recent surge in anti-Sunni violence". So it isn't really sectarian as in a civil way. It is just some people settling old scores with Sunnis. That's not so bad, is it?

http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?story...

[NewJeffCT]

89. So, at least 38 recent surges, I'm counting?

so, basically more than 1 recent surge per month over the past 3 years since the invasion...

[leeroysphitz]

90. Brilliant work! A copy of this is getting forwarded to EVERONE

I know...

[maryallen]

92. Brilliant!

Excellent research!

[lostexpectation]

93. classic

very good

[freedomfries]

94. debunk their talking points!

thanks Earl - good find!

[Disturbed]

99. Oil?

"The terrorists want to control the oil. Our way of life will be at risk". George W. Bush (Nov. 2005)



Bush Regime Iraq Successes (Phase 1)

1. Saddam will no longer sell Iraqi oil via the Euro.

2, A military foothold in the ME. Other than Saudi Arabia.

3, No countries will be able to buy Iraqi oil that the U.S. disapproves of.

4. The Multi-Intl. Oil Corps are reaping great profits.

5.The Military Industrial Complex is a booming Industry.

[NNN0LHI]

102. America never had a Civil War either

It was just a bunch of "recent surges in violence" all put together at once. Just like in Iraq.

Don

[WhiteTara]

103. note how during those all important selling

months, there is a lull (although not stated) in violence.

[BrklynLiberal]

104. Kudos!!!!!

[davidlynch]

105. This Is Unbelievably Great--Good Work! LOL! n/t

[freefall]

106. Excellent!! Thanks for posting this.

[Mugsy]

108. Here's another: "ANOTHER DEADLY DAY IN IRAQ".

Looking for another overused phrase? Try:

"ANOTHER DEADLY DAY IN IRAQ".

Back in '04, I tried to capture video everytime I heard someone on the news use that phrase. It got to be too monumental a task in a very short period of time.

[valerief]

109. What a fabulous collection of USBS.

This deserves framing.

[Blue_Roses]

110. that's interesting

I don't think they have any plans for our troops ...it's so sickening

[No Exit]

112. Classic compilation!!! Bravo!!!

[underpants]

113. It looks to be a trend

Well done.

Just for compilations sake I post the amazing history of our ability to capture people after we have killed them (at least once).


Some Evidence Suggests Saddam Dead: Bush
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 25, 2003
http://english.people.com.cn/200304/25/eng20030425_1157...
US President Bush said in a television interview Thursday that there is some evidence suggesting Saddam Hussein is either dead or "at the very minimum was severely wounded." Bush also said US troops would remain in Iraq "as long as necessary."

DNA tests after missiles strike 'Saddam convoy'
Sunday June 22, 2003
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,98271...
American specialists were carrying out DNA tests last night on human remains believed by US military sources to be those of Saddam Hussein and one of his sons, The Observer can reveal.

Officials suspect Saddam was killed in bombing
Posted 4/10/2003
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-04-10-sadd...
WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence has no clear information on Saddam Hussein's whereabouts, but the betting in the Pentagon's executive offices is that the Iraqi dictator lies dead under a pile of rubble in Baghdad, according to defense and intelligence officials.

But the theory given most credence is that Saddam died in Monday's bomber attack on a home near a Baghdad restaurant.
"The official take from the Pentagon is that Saddam is 'unfound,' " a senior defense intelligence official said on condition of anonymity. "Most along the E-Ring (the Pentagon's outermost hallway and executive suite) think he's under the rubble."
A Defense Department intelligence official said an abrupt end to an electronic intelligence intercept of Iraqi leadership conversations indicated that Saddam and his sons were at the site at the time of the bombing.
"The signal died when the bombs hit," the official said.

Saddam Captured 'Like a Rat' in Raid
Sunday, December 14, 2003
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105706,00.html

Saddam Hussein arrested in Iraq
Sunday, 14 December, 2003, 17:04 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3317429.st...
______________________________________________________________
Pentagon: 'Chemical Ali' Killed in Attack
Tuesday, April 8, 2003
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/4/7/20493...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon believes "Chemical Ali," Saddam Hussein's cousin who ordered a chemical attack on Kurds in northern Iraq in 1988, is dead, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirmed Monday.

'Chemical Ali' reported dead
Monday, 7 April, 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2925375.stm


Officials: Body of 'Chemical Ali' Found in Basra
Monday, April 07, 2003
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83383,00.html


'Chemical Ali' Captured in Iraq
Thursday, August 21, 2003
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95314,00.html


'Chemical Ali' in U.S. custody
Thursday, August 21, 2003
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/08/21/sprj.irq.... /
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- Ali Hassan al-Majid, the Iraqi general known as "Chemical Ali," is in U.S. custody, military officials tell CNN.

[nonconformist]

114. EXCELLENT research! nt

[Catchawave]

115. *A Patriotic Kick* ~nt

[Bluebear]

116. Too good to let fall off nt