Iraqi Interior Ministry Releases New Death Figures For March Proving That The New Security Crackdown Is Not Working

The Iraqi Government's own Interior Ministry released new Iraqi death figures for March, debunking the popular myth among some in the media and supporters of the Bush Administration that the new security crackdown in Iraq is working. New figures for March put Iraqi deaths at over 1,800 persons, or up by over 226 from February, and definately higher at the 1,500 a month prior to the new security measures.

Deaths figures higher than previous totals certainly do indicate that violence in Iraq is not lessening at all, but rather steadily increasing despite the new security measures. In all fairness, it may indeed be June or July before all of the new U.S. troops and security measures are fully in effect. Yet these new figures are not at all encouraging.

And the figures from the Shiite dominated Iraqi government Interior Ministry likely may be understating the scope of the violence, as this same government ministry has had a reputation for understating deaths of Sunni citizens by Shiite death squads, which are often Shiite police or officials sometimes associated with the Iraqi Interior Ministry.