U.S. troop deaths down in Iraq

[rodeodance]

Source: LAT



http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-iraq27jul27,0,4185437.story?coll=la-home-center
From the Los Angeles Times
U.S. troop deaths down in Iraq
A top general says the trend shows that the addition of forces has paid off, though the toll then rises by seven.
By Ned Parker
Times Staff Writer

July 27, 2007

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military announced the deaths of seven American troops Thursday, hours after the No. 2 U.S. commander touted a decline in the number of fatalities so far this month as an indication that an increase in American forces was having a positive effect on the ground.

After three consecutive months in which more than 100 U.S. troops died, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno told reporters that the fatality figures appeared to be going down. However, he said he needed more time to see if the trend had staying power.

Before Odierno spoke, about 60 U.S. troops had been reported killed this month in Iraq.

"We've started to see a slow but gradual reduction in casualties, and it continues in July," Odierno said at a joint news conference with Iraqi military commander Maj. Gen. Abud Qanbar. "It's an initial positive sign, but I would argue we need a bit more time to make an assessment whether it's a true trend."

Odierno said he thought the decline could be traced to the U.S. military seizing terrain in Baghdad, a belt of land around the southern fringe of the capital, and Diyala province to the northeast, where it had little presence before the start of its Baghdad offensive in February.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-iraq27jul27,0,4185437.story?coll=la-home-center

[saigon68]

1. Body Counts

A very BAD WAY to judge success in a civil war

[Eagle_Eye]

4. The Joseph Goebbels section of the bush administration in gaining control

They are fading back to the propaganda campaign of Viet Nam to keep the war going.
Just like Viet Nam, the people will rise up against the republicans, and throw the bums out.
When a Democrat President takes office in 2009, it will be like a breath of fresh air.

[saigon68]

13. We can only hope

The sheeple will agree with us

[badgervan]

16. Deja Vu

Odierno = Westmoreland. We've seen this before, haven't we?

[onehandle]

2. Last year troop deaths declined by a third in July.

Then they rose by 50% in August.

Nice spin, Pentagon pals.

[peace13]

12. Good observation!

Too *amn hot to move! Peace, Kim

[Crunchy Frog]

3. They tend to mistake fluctuations for trends.

The casualty rate this month has certainly dropped off compared with the last three months, but it's still the worst July on record. I don't think I can even count the number times a short term trend has been jumped on to prove that we're "winning", when it was really just insurgents adapting to new circumstances and regrouping.

[madrchsod]

5. 2.78 per day so far this month

67 us troops and 8 coalition of the willing...5 days left

[rodeodance]

6. That is 2.78 per day so far this month' TOO many!

[kurtyboy]

7. Worst July of the war

Here are the US fatality numbers for the month of July since the invasion:


July 2003 48
July 2004 54
July 2005 54
July 2006 43
July 2007 67 (and counting)

Fuck you, General.

[Hissyspit]

8. Stupid fucker. "Forward, they cried, from the rear, and the front rank died." n/t

[dollie300]

9. Yes, down to 66 this month. That makes it progress? n/t

[Swagman]

10. down ?..surely ONE is one too many

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Less than one month is a trend? I don't think so...

"One major difference between a fad and a trend is duration. A fad product, such as the Pet Rock of the 1970s, enjoys a few months of unexpected popularity, but disappears just as quickly as it appears."

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-fad-and-a-trend.htm

Definitions of Trend on the Web:

The change in a series of data over a period of years that remains after the data have been adjusted to remove seasonal and cyclical fluctuations.

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/evaluation/glossary/glossary_t.htm

[Corgigal]

14. Cnn reporting 8 dead yesterday

They might have talked too fast.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2930972

[orleans]

15. that surge is really working out well, don't you think?

:sarcasm:

[GliderGuider]

17. The last eleven consecutive months have seen casualty averages over 2.5 per day

Before that, there had never been more than two consecutive months over 2.5/day. The moving average is getting worse, not better: