Massive New Violence In Iraq Undermines Hopes Of New Security Crackdown

It was to be hoped that the surge in Iraq and security crackdown would help to quell the violence. Instead, more and more evidence of car bombings and other violence spreading across the nation proves that the seurity crackdown is not really working, that violence has only largely been spread outside Baghdad. Yesterday, over 100 more in Iraq lost their lives to car bombings for example. The day before was bad as well.

Other claims that sectarian killings are down, are also questionable in the light that these killings are often done by Iraqi police units. But now that many Iraqi police are involved with joint american security duties, the opportunity for these killings is only down somewhat to 20-30 a day from the previous number around 40-50.

If the new security crackdown was at least working, then it could be argued that humanitarian goals are at least being achieved of limiting needless loss of lives among Iraqi civilians. But these depressing new violence figures prove that any real change in the violence level in Iraq is very minimal at best. Nothing seems to be really working in Iraq.