Attacks in Iraq Down Considerably
Merv Benson's Prairie Pundit - Attacks in Iraq Down Considerably.
Quote:
Attack trends over the last week are down 40 percent. We experienced 386 attacks across Iraq. Specifically yesterday, we experienced 48 attacks; of those attacks, seven were effective against multinational force units, four were effective against Iraqi security force units, and two were effective against Iraqi civilians.
And a reminder: Effective is defined as an attack that resulted in a casualty. So as you can see from those figures, the trend of about 25 percent of the attacks being effective is still in place, and the number of attacks - 48 attacks yesterday - is significantly lower than what we experienced in average. As I say, it's been a 40 percent reduction of attacks from the previous week. And in Baghdad specifically, there was an 80 percent reduction in the numbers of attacks.
But all that has to be taken in context. As you're well aware, significant attack levels the first week in January - number of suicide attacks in the first week in January were 16, seven of which were suicide vest attacks. In November and December, we only averaged six suicide attacks per week. So you can see that was a significant spike in suicide attacks the first week in January.
What that highlights for you is the fact that Zarqawi and the terrorists and foreign fighters, to which we attribute all the suicide attacks, still has a significant capability to surge acts of violence, and that's what he did the first week in January. And we expect that he will do the same thing on or about the time that the election results are released. So even though we've seen a significant reduction in attacks - only 48 yesterday, 40 percent less than last week - we know terrorists and foreign fighters are still out there. They still have a capability, and they do have a capability to surge their precision munition, which is suicide attacks...
