Iraqi deaths spike in March

[Nitrogenica]

Source: CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Deaths among Iraqi civilians, security forces and insurgents jumped in March because of the recent spasm of violence in the country's Shiite regions, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.

"It's obvious that the killed and wounded have increased because of the military operation in Basra and the violence that erupted across the country after the operation started," the official said.

A government offensive that started last week in the southern city of Basra targeting "outlaws" resulted in tough fighting between troops and Shiite militants. Clashes spread to other southern cities and parts of Baghdad, leaving hundreds dead and wounded.

On Tuesday a U.S. airstrike targeted militia fighters in eastern Baghdad's Sadr City district, the heart of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's support in the capital. The U.S. military did not release casualty figures from that attack, but denied reports from Iraqi authorities that civilians were killed in the strike.



Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/01/iraq.main/

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[fascisthunter]

1. I'm Sure This is the Success McCain Was Talking about

nothing like cleansing Iraq of Iraqis....:sarcasm:

[wingedearth]

2. The media will stare, turn their heads, and type articles about Britnay Spears

The media has shown no willingness to cover the negative aspects of the so-called "surge", since it began. We have been told that the surge is working, blah blah blah. But the fact is that Iraqis' lives continue to deteriorate, and there is no end in sight.

[Supersedeas]

3. nothing to see here -- the Media has a script and the script is titled Success

[bobthedrummer]

4. "The Human Cost of the War in Iraq: A Mortality Study, 2002-2006" (pdf)

from John Hopkins University/MIT
http://web.mit.edu/humancostiraq/reports/human-cost-war-101106.pdf

[DavidDvorkin]

5. "Spike" implies they'll drop dramatically

I'm sure that's why CNN chose that word. It implies that a high number is an anomaly.

They should say, more honestly, that deaths rose sharply in March. But that's too much to expect.