Does Anybody "Get It?"

The chart to the left is the source of General Petraeus' claim that "civilian deaths in Iraq are down 45% since December." (Click it to enlarge)

That may be true, although this article does much to cast doubt on that claim (as well as Hilary Clinton's claim that the opposite is true). Indeed, politicians on both sides of the spectrum have excelled at misjudging, misinterpreting, and generally misunderstanding the data, the backdrop, and the overall character of this conflict.

With the Petraeus report, we are hearing people say things like, "I hope the Iraqis use this opportunity to get their feet under themselves." Yeah, I hope so too, but reducing violence down to a level roughly equivalent to where it was just over a year ago is not what I would call much of an opportunity. Hardly anyone would argue that the violence is more intense than in December (except maybe Hilary Clinton), but it is exceptionally ignorant to suggest that the current lull in violence presents an opportunity for reconciliation that Iraq has not had in the past. Add this hubris to the list of junk analysis that I have contradicted from the beginning.

The list:

1. The insurgency is largely made up of ideologically motivated foreign fighters and financially motivated Iraqis.

2. Insurgents and terrorists are synonymous.

3. Rooting out al-Qaeda will largely end the conflict.

4. If America was being occupied, we as Americans would not attack our occupiers. (This one is particularly absurd, but yet even the most militant "conservatives" can't seem to understand how ridiculous this idea is.)

I think the film Meeting Resistance goes a long way to dispel these dangerous myths. See the excerpt below.....

(h/t Graeme)



I am not the only one who thinks this is a valuable film. The U.S. military is showing the film to soldiers in Iraq. Below is the reaction of two soldiers after seeing the film...



What blows me away about watching the clip above is that nearly five years in, we are just now starting to ask the important questions like, "what makes up these people's character?" and, "how do people react to occupation?"

The first question would be a bit difficult for me to answer. I would need to do a lot of research and preferably I'd need to live in Iraq for some time.

But the answer to second question is so obvious, it is infuriating that we even need to ask it, and much more infuriating that intelligent people need to be spoon-fed the answer because they can't answer it for themselves.

And you wonder why the world sees us as ignorant?

Postscript: An early morning U.S. led raid on Sadr City reportedly killed six militant and at least as many civilians including...

...two toddlers, one with a gouged face...

Honestly, is the anger that hard to understand? What if those were your kids? What would YOU do?