Progressively worse continued

Oh that crackdown in Baghdad and the rest of Iraq it is going splendidly. Why, it is almost as if it is having no effect...all while American troops die in larger numbers:

Authorities found the mutilated bodies of 60 men in Baghdad in the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning, likely the latest victims of the sectarian death squads that roam the capital.

The bullet-riddled bodies all had their hands and feet bound and showed signs of torture — hallmarks of death-squad killings, police 1st Lt. Mohamed Khayon said.

The victims were from 20 to 50 years old, and their bodies had been dumped in several neighborhoods.

Sectarian death squads have killed thousands in recent months and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is coming under increased pressure to find an end to the violence.

Chief U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said Monday that there had been a spike in sectarian violence with the onset of Ramadan two weeks ago but provided no numbers.

"We anticipated it and we expect it to continue," Caldwell said. "The sectarian tensions in the city are high."

They "anticipated" this? Golly, I thought the crackdown the Bushies were touting would "decrease" the casualties.

How should I ever think RICH LOWRY could be wrong?

Glimmers of progress in iraq [Rich Lowry]
There's this wire story from the other day (AUGUST 28, 2006):

The meeting came amid reports from military commanders in Iraq that violent incidents in Baghdad have come down by 40 percent in the past three weeks as US and Iraqi troops have cordoned off and cleared some of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods.

Rumsfeld said he had discussed the situation with his top commanders in Iraq and was encouraged by the turnaround.

The military's efforts "have been successful in the sense that we are seeing a reduction in the levels of violence, and in the numbers of attacks, in the areas particularly that the forces have been able to clear," Rumsfeld said.

"Iraqi forces have been doing a very good job," he added.

Thousands of US troops were brought into the capital earlier this month amid fears that spiralling sectarian violence could descend into all-out civil war, pitting Shiites against Sunnis.

Some analysts believe the situation had become a low-level civil war with elements of the Iraqi security forces either abetting the violence or looking the other way.

But Mahdi said the improved security situation in Baghdad was "our answer to all those talking about civil war in Iraq. We don't think we are leading to one."

Posted at 5:00 PM

Meanwhile, 34 dead American soldiers this month and we are less than a third of the way through October.

More than past time for one of these...