36% reduction of murders across the city of Baghdad . . . this month?

reduction? I can't believe there's been a reduction. In Baghdad?

I wonder if they include their own 'insurgent' raids and the government militia killings in that number.


CENTCOM release:


8/27/2006

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces, supported by Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, expanded their combined security effort today into the Adhamiyah neighborhood of northeast Baghdad in support of Operation Together Forward.

The combined operations are led by the soldiers of 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division and 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, supported by Iraqi National Police from 1st Brigade, 1st National Police Division and Soldiers from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

The operations are designed to reduce the level of murders, kidnappings, assassinations, terrorism and sectarian violence in northern Baghdad and to reinforce the Iraqi government’s control in Iraq’s capital city.

The combined forces will secure the district by conducting a cordon and search of the entire area and all of its buildings.

“The Iraqi Security Forces and the Iraqi government are in the lead in planning and conducting these combined operations,” said Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commanding general, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. “We continue to work alongside them in their endeavors to reduce sectarian violence, which has resulted in a 36 percent reduction of murders across the city of Baghdad since we began earlier this month.”

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/Lists/Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=3679


Baghdad is Bush's Last Stand in Iraq (8-24-2006)

whats the rate doing in the rest of the country that we have abandoned to cover baghdad?

it's become a magnet for the resistance, by the US design.

Sectarian violence claimed the lives of more than 3,500 Iraqis last month alone, making it the deadliest month since the U.S. invasion and triggering fears of an all-out civil war.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/08/27/iraqi_pm_violence_is_decreasing/

In other news today, ExxonMobil declared that air pollution is down 52%.

I'm being facetious, but with the steady killings I'd expect the population size to go down as well over time, and hence the total number of deaths in any give day as well. When there's no one left, the murder rate will go to 0!

Amazing how you can manipulate statistics when you need something to fit.