Another Bloody Week In Iraq
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
It's hard to see what's going on in Iraq when Hezbollah and Hamas dominate the headlines. But it's been another particularly bloody week in Mesopotamia.
One day this week in Kufa a guy in a bus claiming he had jobs encouraged more than 50 Iraqis to climb on board. Jobs are a big deal there — unemployment in many neighborhoods is over 70 percent. Once they were on board, the driver blew them and himself up.
The U.N. figures the death rate among civilians in Iraq is up to 100 a day. One hundred a day.
When we were there in May I brought that up to the commanding U.S. general and when I said 100 a day, he said no — 100 a week. And I said no, 100 a day ... and he said no.
Why would Gen. Casey insist that the fatality rate in Iraq is 600 percent lower than it is? I have the utmost respect for the work our soldiers and marines are trying to do over there, but either Casey was lying to me or he doesn't have a clue.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on manyCBS Radio News affiliates across the country.
By Harry Smith