Death Toll for Soldiers in Iraq Rises

Death Toll for Soldiers in Iraq Rises

photo: Memory Hole

The death toll for American troops is rising steeply
this month, with the military today announcing the deaths of three more soldiers,
bringing the number of troops killed this month to at least 36. That figure
already surpasses the American military deaths for all of March, and could
signal a renewed insurgent offensive against the American presence here.

When 31 service members died last month, it was the
second lowest monthly death toll of the war for the Americans, and the fifth
month in a row of declining fatalities, according to statistics from the Iraq
Coalition Casualty Count, an independent organization.

But deaths have begun to rise quickly. Many of the
fatalities this month have taken place in the parched Anbar Province, the
heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency. The province was rated “critical”
in a confidential report written recently by the American Embassy and the
military command in Baghdad.

Though sectarian violence has recently overshadowed
anti-American attacks in much of central Iraq, there are relatively few Shiites
in Anbar, so much of the insurgency's venom is directed at the Americans there.

Deaths
of U.S. Soldiers Climb Again in Iraq

Anbar Province is Shia dominated. So, it's not an aspect of civil
war, but of an escalating attack against Americans and U.S. soldiers.

The Provincial Stability Assessment (source), released 31 January 2006, describes Anbar as “critical.”

Governance: The Governor is the dominant
figure in all decision making and governance functions. Provincial Council
has minimal control over Governor's actions. IPS and courts system incapable
of adequately supporting the rule of law. Signification intimidation of PC
members.

Security: Insurgent activity against ISF
increasing; security situation is negatively impacting redevelopment efforts.

Economics: Infrastructure incapable of
supporting small business development. Little opportunity for growth.

Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari is now engaged in a mine is
bigger than yours contest with Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, because Mubarak said that the
Shiites are more loyal to Iran than Iraq. Jafaari is going to boycott the conference
of Middle East foreign ministers that is going on today. Swell. But the relationship
between Iraq's Shiite and Iran goes back to Saddam and certainly continues today, which Jafaari cannot deny.

Even so, the Iranian government gave refuge
to several prominent Shiite political parties that were oppressed during Saddam
Hussein's rule. One was Mr. Jaafari's party, the Islamic Dawa Party. Another
was Dawa's main rival, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq,
which is now trying to unseat Mr. Jaafari as the prime minister.

Moqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric who is a key supporter
of Mr. Jafaari, also released a statement today condemning Mr. Mubarak's remarks
and stressing the loyalty of Iraqi's Shiite population.

“Iraq is going through a difficult phase,”
Mr. Sadr said, “and such statements serve only the enemy and contributes
in starting the fire of civil and sectarian wars.” (source)

Iraqis are admitting, with definition and feeling, that Iraq has
spiraled into a civil war. According to the Times, Ayad Allawi told Reuters
on Tuesday that the “new form of terrorism” here is “ideological,
political and sectarian terror.”

And we're in the middle of it. That's why our soldiers are dying
at an alarming rate this month. But is someone ever going to do something about
it? That is besides talk and appear on the Sunday shows.

Mind you, the job of our soldiers is to fight and they know the risks and accept them. But to be stuck in a country that is devolving into civil war, when Washington can't figure a way through and a subsequent way out is unacceptable. It's also nothing short of dereliction of duty for a commander in chief to put his legacy before our soldier's lives, not to mention America's future.