Military Making It Up When They Claim A Decline In Iraqi Deaths

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Number of violent deaths in Baghdad shows no drop from previous month

BAGHDAD (AP) — Updated figures from Iraq's Health Ministry show there was no significant decline in violent deaths in Baghdad last month, but the U.S. military insisted Thursday the murder rate in the capital had fallen by 52%.

Baghdad recorded more than 1,500 violent deaths in August, according to final figures released this week by the Health Ministry. The final count was roughly the same as the figure the ministry released for July, before the U.S.-led security crackdown began in the Baghdad area.

Asked about the latest Iraqi figures Thursday, U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson referred The Associated Press to a statement on a U.S. military website, which said the murder rate in Baghdad dropped 52% from the daily rate for July.

Last month, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said the murder rate in Baghdad fell by 46% from July to August.

Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie insisted last week that execution-style killings and sectarian violence had dropped by 45% in the last six weeks.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-09-07-baghdad-deaths_x.htm

[K8-EEE]

1. Lying Liars And Their Lying Liar "News"

Jeez....

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Why can't they simply owe up to the fact that things are going

very badly in Iraq? Perhaps then something could be done to improve the situation. Lying about the true
nature of the situation & the facts isn't helping anybody.

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3. they rush out to tout some figure that shows progress

that's eclipsed the next day by events. It's just a propaganda battle now for the election, with our soldiers (and the Iraqis) at the point of Bush's politics.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Can't help but look down the road to a time when they will be saying

"if we had only known how bad it really was we could have made it right, but the facts were deliberately hidden from the public in a cheap attempt to win some elections".

[Imagevision]

5. yes, it's part of the 20 mil the pentagon is spending to upgrade Iraq news