Insurgent attacks and resulting coalition and Iraqi deaths peaked in the three months following February’s bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, according to a Iraq progress report issued Tuesday by the Pentagon.
Average weekly attacks on coalition forces, Iraqi security forces (ISF) and Iraqi civilians climbed to 620 in the period between Feb. 11 and May 12, 2006, according to the latest security and stability report the Defense Department is required to send congressional lawmakers every quarter.
Only two other periods in Iraq’s post-Saddam history approach the recent numbers for violence, according to the report: the sovereignty period between June 29 to Nov. 26, 2004, which included the battle for Fallujah and major clashes with Shiite insurgents belonging to Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army; and the referendum/vote period between Aug. 29, 2005 to Feb. 10, 2006.
Each of those periods averaged about 550 weekly attacks, the report said.
Average daily casualties for coalition, ISF and Iraqi civilians also soared during the “government transition” period covered by the new report, reaching about 78 per day.
Until now, the highest number of daily casualties reported had been 59 per day, during Iraq’s pre-constitution period between Feb. 12 and Aug. 28, 2005, the report said.
They haven't stopped the progress that is creating an Iraqi state that will destroy them in the end. But they aren't driven from the field yet. That much is clear.
Still, I don't get how some on the Left can believe we will lose this war. The idea that 80% of the population can't defeat an insurgency that draws support from 20% when that same 20% was able to suppress the 80% majority under Saddam is just ridiculous. The Iraqi government will win this war. Our job is to give them the tools to do so.
