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Iraq
Iraq December death toll lowest in 22 months
2008-01-01
This pro'ly won't end up above the fold in the New York Times ...
BAGHDAD - The toll of Iraqis killed in December fell to a 22-month low, officials said on Tuesday, confirming a trend of declining violence across the country in the past six months.

Combined figures obtained from the defence, interior and health ministries showed that a total of 568 Iraqis -- 480 civilians, 24 soldiers and 64 policemen -- were killed in December. The figure is down from 606 in November, 887 in October and 840 in September.

Mirroring the fall in civilian deaths, combat deaths among US troops in Iraq also dropped to a 22-month low at 21 in December, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures. US military commanders say attacks of all types are down 60 percent, after peaking in June, to levels not seen since before February 2006, when a wave of sectarian violence was unleashed by the bombing of a Shiite shrine in the city of Samarra.

Iraqi and US officials attribute the drop in violence to a ”surge” of an extra 28,500 US troops in Iraq, the formation by Sunni leaders of anti-Qaeda fronts, and Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s fear of death freezing of the activities of his Mahdi Army militia.
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#5  The USN got caught flat-footed by a column of pogoda ships at Savo Island and took 952 casualties in a surface action that took less than an hour. The board of inquiry censured one officer (and would have been critical of another had he not shot himself in quarters in Panama.)

The war in Iraq isn't really Galipoli is it.
Posted by: Super Hose   2008-01-01 19:11  

#4  Yup, heard the same thing a couple times out here. Bunch a'crap. antiwar.cum: estimated wounded since '03 23000-100000. What kind of error factor is that?!

Battle of Guadalcanal - Aug. 7, 1942 to Feb. 1943 (6 months) - US casualties 6,000 of 60,000 including 1600 dead; Japan casualties 24,000 of 36,000. - history.sandiego.edu
Posted by: swksvolFF   2008-01-01 16:35  

#3  I couldn't believe it, JIB, but here it is, via AP and See-BS.
Posted by: Bobby   2008-01-01 09:22  

#2  This pro'ly won't end up above the fold in the New York Times ...

You are correct!
Posted by: Raj   2008-01-01 08:36  

#1  ...but the MSM is reporting it "above the fold" as 2007 Deadliest Year Ever in Iraq. You have to give them credit for consistency of incredible seditious behavior and attitude.
Posted by: Jack is Back!   2008-01-01 05:33  

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