MILITARY ~ Honor, Duty, Country

[rdavis8325]

Those Priceless Americans
May 1, 2009: The government has released data showing that 110,000 Iraqis have died, mostly from sectarian and terrorist violence, since 2003. The killing has declined considerably in the last year. In March, 2008, 1,276 died, versus 335 for March, 2009. But now there is a surge in the violence. About half the recent attacks were against Shia targets, apparently a continued effort by Sunni Arab radicals attempting to trigger a civil war between Sunni and Shia. This has always been a bad idea, as it is based on the fantasy that the Sunni Arabs would somehow win, and regain control of Iraq. Over the last five years, Sunni Arab terrorism has only resulted in the much stronger Shia population (which controls the government) retaliating and chasing half the Sunni Arab population from their homes. Over a third of the Sunni Arab minority (about five million people in 2003) are now in exile, and many Kurds and Shia (who are over 80 percent of the population) would like to drive all the Sunni Arabs out.

For the second month in a row, over 300 people died from suicide bomb attacks. As violent as this is, it's still way down from last year's violence (over 1,200 deaths a month). Last month, fifteen American military personnel died in Iraq. That's up from the record low (9 dead) in March. Iraqi security forces suffered 339 dead in April, and 278 in March.

British forces have officially withdrawn from Iraq, after having been there since they captured the city in March of 2003. Several hundred troops and civilians actually remain, to provide training and advice. Some 5,000 U.S. troops have taken over the security duties performed by the 3,800 departing British troops.

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/iraq/articles/20090501.aspx