Iraq calming of violence a myth: Baghdad murder numbers come out

[Thorgrim]

BAGHDAD, Sept. 7 -- Baghdad's morgue almost tripled its count for violent deaths in Iraq's capital during August from 550 to 1,536, authorities said Thursday, appearing to erase most of what U.S. generals and Iraqi leaders had touted as evidence of progress in a major security operation to restore order in the capital.

...

Since the spring, as sectarian violence has mounted, monthly counts of civilian casualties have reached the highest levels of the war, topping 1,800 at the Baghdad morgue in July.

washingtonpost.com

the highest level was 1800, this month it was 1500...

the violence is still out of control, worse because this tripling at the last moment mean it was more executions and less bombings...militias are taking matters in to their own hands rather than making spectacles for public consumption

[thomez]

Bush's new saying should be "We're letting them kill each other over there rather than bring the fight to our homeland"