August Is 2nd Deadliest Month For Iraqis

Recent Suicide Attacks Cause Civilian Deaths To Rise Slightly Since July; Over 1,800 Killed

(AP)  Civilian deaths rose slightly in August from July's figure as a huge suicide attack in the north two weeks ago offset security gains elsewhere, according to figures compiled Saturday by The Associated Press.

U.S. deaths remained well below figures from last winter when the U.S began dispatching 30,000 additional troops to Iraq.

At least 1,809 civilians were killed in the month, compared to 1,760 in July, based on figures compiled by the AP from official Iraqi reports. That brings to 27,564 the number of Iraqi civilians killed since AP began collecting data on April 28, 2005.

The August total included 520 people killed in quadruple suicide bombings on Yazidi communities near the Syrian border. The horrific attacks made Aug. 14 was the single deadliest day since the war began in March 2003.

Eighty-five coalition troops - 81 American and four British - died in August, down from 88 the month before, including 79 Americans. The average rate of 2.74 coalition deaths per day was the second lowest since the surge began, and down from a peak of 4.23 per day in May.

U.S. officials have maintained that violence is declining in Iraq in the run-up to a series of reports to Congress this month that will decide the course of the U.S. military presence here.

The top U.S. commander, Gen. David Petraeus, was quoted Friday as saying the troop increase has sharply reduced sectarian killings in Baghdad. Petraeus is expected to make the same point when he reports to Congress in about two weeks.

"If you look at Baghdad, which is hugely important because it is the center of everything in Iraq, you can see the density plot on ethno-sectarian deaths," the Australian newspaper quoted him as saying during an interview in the Iraqi capital.

"It's a bit macabre but some areas were literally on fire with hundreds of bodies every week and a total of 2,100 in the month of December '06, Iraq-wide. It is still much too high but we think in August in Baghdad it will be as little as one quarter of what it was," the newspaper quoted Petraeus, who gave no specific figures.

American hopes brightened this week when the most powerful Shiite militia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, ordered a halt to attacks by his Mahdi Army for up to six months to reorganize and purge it of unruly factions that the U.S. maintains are armed and trained by Iran.

"If implemented, Sadr's order holds the prospect of allowing coalition and Iraqi security forces to intensify their focus on al Qaeda-Iraq and on protecting the Iraqi population," the U.S. military said in a statement Saturday.

The statement said an end to Mahdi Army violence "would also be an important step in helping Iraqi authorities focus greater attention on achieving the political and economic solutions necessary for progress and less on dealing with criminal activity, sectarian violence, kidnappings, assassinations, and attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces."

The government-run newspaper Sabah published a front-page editorial Saturday praising al-Sadr's declaration as "a correct decision" and urged other militia leaders to follow suit.

Despite those comments, U.S. and Iraqi forces have not let up on raids against extremists in Shiite areas.

Before daybreak Saturday, Iraqi and American forces raided Sadr City, the Baghdad stronghold of the Mahdi Army, detaining eight people and demolishing several cars with tanks, according to a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity. Associated Press Television News video from the scene showed several crushed cars on the street.

The U.S. military did not respond to a request for information on the raid. American commanders routinely refer to extremists targeted in raids as "rogue elements," implying they may be beyond al-Sadr's control.

Leaflets scattered around Sadr City urged people to report on Shiite militants who are cooperating with the Iranians, providing a cell phone number and a yahoo.com e-mail address.

"The criminal Iraqis who work with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are toys under Persian control," read one of the leaflets, which pictured a puppet dancing on strings. "Iranian Revolutionary Guards are interfering in Iraq's affairs while Iraqis are dying."

Armed Shiite groups are locked in a struggle for power in Shiite areas of the capital and in the Shiite heartland of the south, which includes major religious shrines and vast oil wealth. Control of the shrines offers not only prestige but access to huge sums of money donated by Shiites from around the world.

As part of that power struggle, gunmen on a motorcycle assassinated Muslim al-Batat, an aide to the country's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, police said. The attack occurred in Basra, where numerous militias are competing for power.

[cbville72]

cbville72 --- The only thing you read is the space between the lines. ----- And you blame Liberal Politics,,,, Enlist & Serve Your Country
Posted by j-whitman at 10:16 PM : Sep 01, 2007
+ report abuse

No my liberal friend. I actually read the stories. And then laugh at the insane posts that you then put up. By the way, your spelling and grammar are atrocious. I''m betting that 7th grade was your ceiling. You could serve your country by NOT POSTING EVERYDAY. Go out and do something with your life.

[prinzowhales]

Here''s some of the people helping to ''protect'' Iraqis...''Just shoot,'' the Marine says, ''when they answer the door.''

http://infowars.net/articles/august2007/310807Slaughter.htm

Troops Home Now! Don''t vote for a mainstream War Pig trying to sell you years more of fighting as a ''plan to withdraw.''

[ontheleft]

"It''s a bit macabre but some areas were literally on fire with hundreds of bodies every week and a total of 2,100 in the month of December ''06, Iraq-wide. It is still much too high but we think in August in Baghdad it will be as little as one quarter of what it was," the newspaper quoted Petraeus, who gave no specific figures.

At least 1,809 civilians were killed in August, compared to 1,760 in July, based on figures compiled by the AP from official Iraqi reports.


Our *** government is an unapologetic propaganda machine - and a pathetically bad one at that. But there are millions of ignorant morons who buy into the propaganda this disgraceful administration tries to put out.

We had no business going into Iraq in the first place. All you neo-cons who want our soldiers to continue to fight the war - go over there and fight it yourself.

Out of Iraq NOW.

[j-whitman]

good night folks

[j-whitman]

Watch the Arabs,,,, They consider Iraq part of thier holy land...
... Condi Rice is getting absoulty no help from them..... They are as sick of the damage & total lack of progress as we are, probably even more so.

[j-whitman]

ToolMangler -- Maybe curtains over the windshield so they can''t see where they are going.... Most of the old ammo dumpa are not destroyed & they aren''t secure..... If Iraqi''s had no explosives they would be attacking us with rocks.

[iceman_1960]

"HiYa'' radio, j'', I think we might be on the same track here."
- Posted by ToolMangler at 10:27 PM : Sep 01, 2007

Beware of approaching freight trains...

[toolmangler-2009]

radio,,,, Maybe they simply need better Automotive Industry Safety Laws
Posted by j-whitman at 10:52 PM : Sep 01, 2007


Like "Side cutain Airbags", ???? LOL

[j-whitman]

radio,, Who did that song ?? Road blocks are a joke, the only ones you can count on are our own... Which takes us back to the Big Q - Where is the security,
, After all this time in this "surge" we can''t even protect the Baghdad Museum,,,,, Deja Vu,, a forgotten lesson Rumsield learned the hard way & everyone forgot.

[mh4cbs1]

VICTORY AT LAST!!

Yes, only 1,800 Iraqis died in August!

Only 81 more troops died in August!

The War on Iraq has only cost the US taxpayer $500 BILLION!!

So what if Bush and Cheney lied about WMDs and the fake Al Qaeada link to Saddam. SO what if Osama Bin Forgotten was never caught. So what if the Iraq Invasion had NOTHING to do with fighting terrorism. This War is still worth it! God Bless Bush, Cheney and the all the NeoCons who deliberately lied us into this War. When we finally get control the Iraqi Oil Reserves our corporations will be so unbelievably filthy rich - WOW it will be so great -- we will be able to drive our SUVs for another 50 years!

So you bleeding heart liberals who cry every time our troops are killed... Stop your whining. Their sacrifice is worth it! We will be rich with Oil and we will control the Middle East.