Facing reality is important in evaluating Iraq as well as global warming (previous story). The latest government report shows what observers have known for a while. They are having trouble hiding the problems caused by going into Iraq without a plan to win after Saddam was over thrown.
The New York Times reports that the Pentagon Releases Grim Report on Iraq:
Iraqi casualties soared by more than 50 percent during the roughly three-month period ending in early August, the product of spiraling sectarian clashes and a Sunni-based insurgency that remains “potent and viable,” the Pentagon noted today in an comprehensive assessment of security in Iraq.
In a grim 63-page report, the Pentagon chronicled bad news on a variety of fronts. One telling indicator was the number of weekly attacks, which reached an all-time high in July.
The Washington Post similarly reports that the Pentagon Cites Spike in Violence in Iraq:
The Pentagon report, though consistent with what news media have reported for months, is significant because it represents an official acknowledgment of trends that are widely believed to be driving the country toward full-scale civil war.
“It’s a pretty sober report this time,” said Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. “The last quarter . . . it’s been rough, and the levels of violence are up, and the sectarian quality of the violence is particularly acute and disturbing,” he said at a news briefing.
“This is reality catching up with Rumsfeld and the Pentagon,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution.
AP also reports on the gloomy report. Falsely tying Iraq into the “war on terrorism” may backfire against Republicans this fall if this is the type of news voters hear. It is turning into a lose-lose situation for Republicans. Those who realize that tying Iraq to terrorism to justify their war was misleading are less likely to support Republicans due to this deception, while those who do believe Iraq is part of a “war on terrorism” now see Republicans as failures.
