The real benchmarks in Iraq

Socialist Worker online, September 14, 2007 | Page 5

ALAN MAASS compiles the statistics about Iraq that Congress ought to be examining.

TO THE surprise of exactly no one, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, revealed this month that he believes the situation in U.S.-occupied Iraq is “improving.”

Petraeus’ parade of appearances was supposed to assess the situation after the escalation of U.S. troop strength ordered by his boss, George Bush. Since January, 28,500 new U.S. troops have “surged” into Iraq, bringing the total to 162,000 soldiers by mid-August--an all-time high, surpassing the troop count during the invasion itself.

“Naturally enough,” Tom Engelhardt of TomDispatch.com wrote in drawing up the terrible balance sheet of the occupation, “other ‘all-time highs’ of the grimmest sort follow.”

The real benchmarks about Iraq that members of Congress ought to be examining tell a very different story.

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