Turning the corner in Iraq?
Thursday, November 8, 2007 | 03:52 PM ET
By Henry Champ
Most people believe it was former British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli who first said "there are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies and statistics."
Mark Twain popularized the saying, of course. But my favourite quote has always been that of Lawrence Lowell, a former president of Harvard, who said statistics "are like veal pies, good if you know the person that made them and are sure of the ingredients."
In any event, on Monday, six American soldiers were killed in Iraq. That brought this year's American death toll in that poor country to 852, making 2007 the deadliest year for American troops since the conflict began in 2003.
Yet for some time now, President George W. Bush has been saying "freedom's happening in Iraq and we're making progress," adding Iraqi troops have been "taking their country back."
Ignoring the annual figures, Bush and the White House press machine have been stressing U.S. fatalities for the month of October. At just 38 dead, it was the lowest of the year and the lowest since March 2006.
The administration argues that this is not only good news but, even better, an improving trend. It may have a point.
In April 2007, when the big troop buildup — the so-called surge — was completed and the fighting against insurgents was the toughest, the American death toll was 104. In May, that shot up to 126 and it has been dropping steadily ever since.
More than numbers
These are all verifiable statistics compiled by the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a respected website that tracks military deaths.
There are also reassuring claims coming from within Iraq itself.
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