We start the week with the media waiting breathlessly for a report by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Iraq. Initial reports tell us that the report "would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government." This is what Bush refers to as an "independent" report. An actual independent report gives us a better view, without the rose-colored lens that the White House will project Petraeus's and Crocker's report through.
Associated Press:
In vertical bars of blue, green, gray and red, a briefing chart prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency says what Gen. David Petraeus won't.
Insurgent attacks against Iraqi civilians, their security forces and U.S. troops remain high, according to the document obtained by The Associated Press. It is a conclusion that the well-regarded Army officer who is the top U.S. commander in Iraq is expected to try to counter when he and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, testify before Congress on Monday and Tuesday.
Not only are attacks still high, but the numbers suggest we're the biggest part of the problem. By far the majority of insurgent attacks have been on US forces. About 3,000 in July, compared with less than 1,000 on iraqi security forces and less than 1,000 on iraqi civilians. It may be that if these US forces weren't there, more than three fifths of the violence in Iraq wouldn't happen...
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