WP: Pentagon Issues Dire Look At End of '06 in Iraq

[maddezmom]

Pentagon Issues Dire Look At End of '06 in Iraq

By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 15, 2007; Page A15

The Pentagon yesterday released its bleakest assessment of Iraq yet, reporting record levels of violence and hardening sectarian divisions in the last quarter of 2006 as rival Sunni and Shiite militias waged campaigns of "sectarian cleansing" that forced as many as 9,000 civilians to flee the country each month.

Weekly attacks in Iraq rose to more than 1,000 during the period and average daily casualties increased to more than 140, with Iraqi civilians bearing the brunt of the violence -- nearly 100 killed or wounded a day, according to statistics in the Pentagon's latest congressionally required quarterly report on security in Iraq.

Those figures may represent as little as half of the true casualties because they include only violence observed by or reported to the U.S.-led military coalition, the report acknowledged. It cited a United Nations estimate, based on hospital reports, that more than 6,000 Iraqi civilians were killed or wounded in December alone.

Shiite militias and Sunni insurgents vying to establish strongholds are driving the strife, especially in Baghdad, where they forcibly displaced residents and fueled a record 45 attacks a day, the report said. Unlike previous reports, the one released yesterday depicted some aspects of the Iraq conflict as a civil war.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/14/AR2007031402444.html

pdf of full report:

http://www.defenselink.mil/home/pdf/9010_March_2007_Final_Signed.pdf

[LynnTheDem]

1. "Progress", the george w. bush way.

Remember, people of Iraq, to repay your "debt of gratitude" to george w. bush personally.

[Hawaii Hiker]

2. The Rolling Stone article posted last week

that had the 9 diplomats, retired military personnel, etc. on it, paints a grim picture of Iraq, even in the best case scenario..

[underpants]

3. Why does the Pentagon hate 'Murka?

Why do they want us to fail? Our troops want to complete their mission of victory and come in for the big win!!!

:sarcasm:

[poverlay]

4. I keep thinking that it can't get any worse. When do the Iraqis have time to do

anything besides bomb or avoid bombs? The surge is going to look like it's working because, sooner or later, the people carrying out the attacks are going to have to get tired and go on vacation. Maybe they'll retire because they've been doing it so long.

I don't know, but I'm sooo tired of hearing about beautiful lives being snuffed out because of stupidity, ignorance, hatred, and greed. Somehow, someway, it has got to stop.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. From my post yesterday: Little noticed point in this report....No $ for peace talks

ttp://www.defenselink.mil/home/pdf/9010_March_2007_Fin...


"The last two months of 2006, however, saw
little progress on the reconciliation front. The
first two of four planned reconciliation conferences
were described in the last report
(November 2006). These conferences laid
solid groundwork for subsequent conferences,
but there has been little progress since
then and the conferences had no effect on
quelling violence. On December 16–17,
2006, the Political Parties Conference was
held in Baghdad. Speeches given by the
Prime Minister and other Iraqi officials
focused on political participation and national
unity, and welcomed former Ba’athists into
the political process, so long as they showed
loyalty to the new national government. The
Sadrist bloc, top Ba’athists, and many Sunni
factions did not participate. A fourth conference
of religious leaders has not yet been
scheduled due to lack of financial support and
attendance challenges. "
--------------------------------------------------------------
The cost of this war is expected to hit $456 BILLION by the
end of this fiscal year. And we don't have enough to support
a PEACE and Reconciliation effort????? OP

[texanshatingbush]

9. Your link doesn't work for me...has the article been pulled?? n/m

[frogcycle]

6. Today's headlines, so far:

http://icasualties.org/oif/

03/15/07 Reuters: Suicide car bomb kills 8 policemen in central Baghdad
In the deadliest attack, a suicide car bomber targeting an Iraqi army and police checkpoint killed eight policemen and soldiers in the Karrada district of central Baghdad.

03/15/07 TribuneChronicle: Champion soldier killed in Iraq
Army Sgt. Robert Carr, 22, a specialist with the 1506th Infantry Battalion stationed in Baghdad, was killed at 1:13 a.m. Iraq time Tuesday when a vehicle he was driving rolled over an Improvised Explosive Device, or booby trap.

03/15/07 kptv: Oregon Marine Killed In Action In Iraq
An Oregon Marine was killed in action in Iraq’s Al Anbar province last weekend, according to the Department of Defense. Lance Cpl. Nathanial Windsor, 20, died March 13 from wounds suffered during combat.

03/15/07 Reuters: Bomb kills 6 in Iraq, U.S. warns of sectarian warfare
A car bomb exploded as a bus carrying state employees passed by in a town south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing six people, as a Pentagon report said sectarian violence was the greatest security threat in Iraq.

03/15/07 Reuters: Gunmen set fire to al-Sadr office in Kefil
Gunmen set fire to an office of the political movement of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the town of Kefil, south of Hilla, on Wednesday night, police said.

03/15/07 Reuters: Police find body of abducted man in Diwaniya
Police found the body of a man, shot dead and tortured, on Wednesday in the southern city of Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad, police said. The victim was abducted from a cafe earlier that day.

03/15/07 Reuters: Two charred bodies found in Kirkuk
Police found two charred bodies on Wednesday in the northern city of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. The victims were blindfolded, handcuffed, and tortured.

03/15/07 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills 2 in Baghdad's Saidiya district
A roadside bomb went off in the southern Saidiya district of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing two people, police said.

03/15/07 Reuters: Car bomb kills 2, wounds 11 in Mosul
A car bomb killed two people and wounded 11 others on Wednesday in the city of Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad

03/15/07 Reuters: Sixteen bodies found in Baghdad
A total of 16 bodies were found shot dead on Wednesday in different districts of Baghdad, police said.

03/15/07 Reuters: Police find 3 bodies in Dhuluiya
Police found the bodies of three people, shot dead, on Wednesday in the town of Dhuluiya, 80 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

03/15/07 Reuters: U.S. forces kill Iraqi soldier
U.S. forces targeting al Qaeda militants in the northern city of Mosul killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded three after thinking they were insurgents, the U.S. military said in a statement. It said U.S. soldiers had come under fire...

03/15/07 MNF: Multi-National Force – West soldier dies in noncombat related incident
A Marine assigned to Multi National Force-West died Mar. 14 in a noncombat related incident in Al Anbar Province.

[maddezmom]

7. that's progress! better than expected!

:sarcasm:

Iraqi VP says crackdown 'better than expected'

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdel Mahdi told US President George W. Bush Thursday that the Baghdad crackdown is doing "better than expected" but will not by itself end Iraq's sectarian strife.

~SNIP~

"This will not solve the whole problem; the reconciliation process will take our political agenda forward. We are working on many issues," said Mahdi.

The vice president cited an oil-and-gas revenue-sharing measure, legislation to guide the return of some former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party purged from many jobs in government and other Iraq sectors.

The two leaders met amid a US-led security crackdown in Baghdad that aims to break the cycle of sectarian violence that the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies say bears the hallmarks of civil war.

"The main reason why I've reinforced our troops in Iraq is to give leaders such as yourself the opportunity to do the hard work of reconciliation," Bush told Mahdi. "I appreciate very much the progress that you're making."


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2768415

but it must be true....look how happy they are here:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. If any spineless journalist wannabe dares ask Tony Snowflake about it,

I can already see his response.

"We never said this would be easy. In fact, the temporary increase in violence is due to the president's plan working. The more we clean up, the more desperate they are, and the more damage they will try to do. SO, we should look at this report as indicative of success in the field."

[ClintonTyree]

11. But "The Surge" is working!

Just ask Tony Snow and anyone else connected to the White House. And of course every politician in Iraq (the ones still alive, that is) agree that "The Surge" has been an overwhelming success! Attacks in Baghdad are down significantly since "The Surge" started. Baghdad is almost a vacation paradise now. Really! :sarcasm:

Of course, what they AREN'T telling us is that violence in the outskirts of Baghdad and the other provinces is up dramatically. U.S Forces are playing a game of, INSURGENT WHACK-A-MOLE, where the insurgents are attacking wherever "coalition forces" ( :rofl: ) aren't. Baghdad may be somewhat quieter for the moment but attacks elsewhere are increasing. GREAT SUCCESS! :eyes:

Never fear, Bush is sending a whopping 8,000 more Troops, so the 170,000 square miles of Iraq will be well saturated with forces tasked to keep the peace! :sarcasm:

Bush's ego won't allow him to withdraw or consider anything short of "total victory" even though there is no benchmark for what that "total victory" would look like. One man's ego: the only thing that started and is keeping this entire cluster-fuck from ending without sacrificing hundreds, perhaps thousands more American lives and spending hundreds of billions of dollars we don't have. George Bush's ego: the only thing that can surpass this stupidity. :grr:

[whistle]

8. Brought to us by Tony "The Liar" Blair and George "The Butcher" Bush aka Dubya

[maddezmom]

10. Report: General Requests More Troops(request not public, but CNNI reporting Gates has signed order)

Report: General Requests More Troops(request not public, but CNNI reporting Gates has signed order)
Edited on Fri Mar-16-07 03:39 AM by maddezmom
Report: General Requests More Troops
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 15, 2007; 11:59 PM


BOSTON -- The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq has asked for an additional 2,500 to 3,000 troops to be sent to Iraq as part of the Bush administration's military buildup to crack down on rising sectarian violence and insurgents, The Boston Globe reported.

Gen. David Petraeus wants another Army combat aviation unit _ which would be the sixth Army brigade involved in the buildup _ deployed to support the more than 26,000 soldiers already on their way to Iraq under the plan opposed by many Democrats in Congress, the Globe said in a report posted on its Web site Thursday night. The report quoted unidentified senior Pentagon officials.

The request has not yet been made public, according to the report, which quoted one official as saying the extra troops, to be backed by dozens of transport helicopters and powerful gunships, were needed to assist those on the ground now and those expected in Iraq shortly.

more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031600002.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. my local NPR had it pegged at 3000

Why does this sound more and more like VietNam?

"just another bombing raid. Just a few more troops. Just a little more time. Just just just.

[whistle]

12. Pentagon optimism or pessimism...are the morgues half full or half empty

:wtf:

[frogcycle]

15. and today

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
Lance Cpl. Raymond J. Holzhauer, 19, of Dwight, Ill., died March 15 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. His death is currently under investigation.

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Pfc. Alberto Garcia Jr., 23, of Bakersfield, Calif., died Mar. 13 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire and an improvised explosive device.

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Sgt. Robert M. Carr, 22, of Warren, Ohio, died Mar. 13 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Carr was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Spc. Stephen M. Kowalczyk, 32, of San Diego, died Mar. 14 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire. Kowalczyk was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier, 21, of Athens, Ga., died Mar. 14 in Mufrek, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near him. Chevalier was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Spc. Adam J. Rosema, 27, of Pasadena, Calif., died Mar. 14 south of Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during recovery operations.

03/16/07 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
Lance Cpl. Steven M. Chavez, 20, of Hondo, N.M., died March 14 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Chavez’s death is currently under investigation.

03/16/07 AP: Pentagon To Deploy Iraq Support Troops Early
Some 2,600 soldiers from a combat aviation unit will go to Iraq ahead of schedule, part of the support troops the Pentagon has said are needed to back the extra combat units President Bush is sending there.

03/16/07 AP: More Iraqi refugees expected in Europe
The number of Iraqi refugees arriving in Europe is expected to double to 40,000 in 2007 based on trends from the first two months of the year, the U.N. refugee agency said Friday.

03/16/07 Reuters: Mortar fire kills 1, wounds 5 in southern Baghdad
Mortar bombs killed one person and wounded five in Zaafaraniya in southern Baghdad, a police source said.

03/16/07 Reuters: Two policemen killed in Kirkuk
A roadside bomb blew up next to a police patrol, killing two policemen and wounding three in the centre of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, a police source said.

03/16/07 Reuters: Gunmen wound Mayor of Sadr City
The mayor of Sadr City, a Shi'ite militia stronghold in Baghdad, was wounded when gunmen opened fire on his car and a senior police officer was killed, Iraqi and U.S. officials said on Friday.

03/16/07 thisishull: SOLDIER'S GRENADE HORROR
A soldier from East Yorkshire has suffered horrific injuries after he was hit in the face by a grenade mistakenly fired on an Army base in Iraq. Private Christopher Ashton, 22, was hit by a grenade travelling at 1,500mph after the launcher was fired...

03/16/07 WaPo: For U.S. and Sadr, Wary Cooperation
U.S. troops are conducting security sweeps in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City for the first time in three years, part of a revamped plan to pacify the capital. Yet the Mahdi Army militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has not risen up to fight them

03/16/07 guardian: US officer defends Haditha shootings
A US marine charged with killing 18 Iraqi civilians near the town of Haditha, among them women and children, justified his actions by saying he was following military procedures and stands by his decisions.

03/16/07 AP: Richard Thompson Writes Anti-War Song
Richard Thompson didn't set out to write a searing anti-war song. He was fascinated by the language of the soldiers in Iraq and wanted to put it to music.

03/16/07 AP: Iraqi music business reflects hardships
Farouk Hassan's eyes well up with tears as he cranks his car's CD player and sings along with the latest hit, a lament to his lost love: violence-torn Baghdad.

03/16/07 TexasObserver: Suicide Was the Only Way Out
A colonel in the U.S. Army, Westhusing had a good job teaching English at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was a devout Catholic who went to church nearly every Sunday. He had a wife and three young children.

03/16/07 BBC: 'Friendly fire' killing unlawful
The death of a UK soldier after a US pilot opened fire on his convoy in Iraq was unlawful, a coroner has ruled. Lance Corporal Matty Hull, 25, from Windsor, died in the "friendly fire" incident near Basra in March 2003.

03/16/07 MNF: Marine dies in Non-combat incident in Anbar province
A Marine assigned to Multi National Force-West died March 14 in a noncombat related incident in Al Anbar Province.

03/16/07 MNF: Task Force Lightning Soldiers attacked - 1 soldier killed
One Soldier died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when Task Force Lightning Soldiers were attacked while conducting combat operations in Salah ad Din Province, Thursday.

[19jet54]

16. Revenge?

This Iraq surge is not about winning - it as about "Bush" being angry at the American voters for moving the House & Senate to Democratic majorities - As such, he wants to kill, mame, disable & punish as many sons, daughters, wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and children as possible - and spend or give away as much money as possible so his legacy will be remembered for generations of debt & destruction of minds and bodies.

Now he orders the Pentagon to scare us into submission? Instead of shock & awe, it is violence, death predictions & fear?

America is founded on people fighting back - Democracy is about the Voter fighting back with their vote! 2006 is a preview of 2008!

[Doctor_J]

17. So we better get another $50 B

Otherwise it might get worse.

grrrrrr

[NYC]

18. 6,000 Iraqi civilians killed or wounded in December alone.

...It cited a United Nations estimate, based on hospital reports, that more than 6,000 Iraqi civilians were killed or wounded in December alone...