US says Iraqi insurgent threat grows again

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Iraqi insurgents have shown improved coordination and greater tactical sophistication in a new surge of attacks following a sharp decline after national elections in January, US defense officials said.

The increased violence comes amid a stalemate over the formation of a new Iraqi government, which US officials worry is dissipating an opportunity opened by the January 30 elections to undercut Sunni support for the insurgency.

Attacks fell from about 90 a day before the elections to about 40 a day for several weeks after the vote, Pentagon officials said. But then about two weeks ago the number of attacks rose to about 50 a day.

More significant than the number of attacks is that the insurgent attacks are better coordinated than in the past and more sophisticated, said the senior defense official.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050425/pl_afp/usiraqmilitary

How many civilians and soldiers have to die before they drop the goddamn charade?

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Not possible, our government has been reporting in good faith

that attacks are way down and that democracy is taking hold. The good people in Iraq have spoken and they had free elections. The insurgency's back was broken months ago in Falluja - guaranteed. God bless America! (and that includes the suvs too!)

[acmejack]

2. As long as it doesn't touch them

They couldn't care less about Iraqis and our kids. Hey, war is grand as long as you aren't the one waging it (or, of course, a recipient of said waging).

[indie_voter]

3. Gee, you think?

Thanks US Government for letting me know!

I wouldn't have thunk it, I've been so distracted with Jacko and the Pope.

:eyes:

[NYC]

4. Sharp decline?

I guess I missed the sharp decline. Our soldiers are dying at a slower rate than January. Maybe that was the sharp decline.

[Dover]

5. The Bushies would like nothing better than for a civil war to break out

so they can plant themselves there permanently. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria.....ANY Middle Eastern country will do. When you consider the size and funding of our War machine, our agenda is perfectly clear.
We are a WAR machine.

[Theduckno2]

6. Sharp decline from their recent days of giddiness over....

a Syrian pullout from Lebanon, Mubarak allowing elections in Egypt, and Arafat's death with a possible Gaza pullout. Yessiree democracy was breaking out all over the Middle East, if you listened to their giddy babbling. Peace in the Middle East touches their lives, in stable oil prices, but the suffering of Iraqis, hardly a nod of acknowledgement. The corruption, the assassinations of government officials and the still deplorable state of the infrastructure hardly rate a mention in the MSM, just the number of attacks. I just hope all Iraqis can put aside their differences, to create a civil society and then show us the door.