Curfew Extended in Baghdad
Mar 29th, 2008 | BAGHDAD -- Government television says Iraq's military command for Baghdad is extending a round-the-clock curfew in the capital until further notice.
The curfew was to have expired at sunrise Sunday. It was imposed Thursday night to curb violence in the capital.
Violence has been on the rise as part of a nationwide backlash by followers of Muqtada al-Sadr to the Iraqi government's attempt to crush Shiite militias and criminal gangs in Basra.
Regardless of what happens in Iraq, though, it’s still a success:
Pentagon says new Iraq fighting arises from surge's success
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Pentagon on Wednesday said an eruption of violence in southern Iraq, where US-backed government forces were battling Shiite militias, was a "by-product of the success of the surge."
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said it showed that the Iraqi government and security forces were now confident enough to take the initiative against Shiite extremists in the southern port of Basra.
Which is really weird since last fall the government attributed a drop in violence to the same glorious surge:
U.S. Cites Drop In Attacks Since Buildup in Iraq; Bombs Kill 20
BAGHDAD, Nov. 18 -- U.S. officials on Sunday declared a 55 percent drop in attacks since the launch of an offensive nine months ago, while bombs across Iraq killed at least 20 people, highlighting the country's continuing security threats.
[...]
Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a senior U.S. military spokesman, said violence in parts of Iraq had fallen to its lowest levels since summer 2005. Iraqi civilian casualties are down 60 percent since June, and they have dropped 75 percent in Baghdad, Smith said.
Am I the only one confused here?
It seems the success or failure of our Iraq War misadventure is never in question, despite what the circumstances in Iraq may be. So if that's the case, let's just call the whole thing a glorious success and bring the troops home. President Bush called the mission accomplished years ago, and the surge has been a success.
Game over.
