“The pace of U.S. deaths could make October the deadliest month is two years,” reported the AP on October 23rd.  The headline was duly repeated by countless broadcasters and commentators,

But this proved untrue.  The 107 troop death toll of January 2005 was higher. By Monday, October 30, a corrected assessment clogged the airwaves:  October 2006 was “the fourth deadliest month for U.S. troops since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.” (Reuters, Oct 30).

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NOT NEWS

NOT NEWS

NEWS

by Richard Nadler
(The second of three pre-election valedictories)

By a margin of two-to-one, Americas believe our war effort is failing in Iraq.  But it is not.  Our arms and diplomacy are succeeding in standing up an anti-terrorist democracy.  Whether one looks at Iraqi security, politics, or economics, the important trends are positive.

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by Richard Nadler
(The first of three pre-election valedictories)

Democratizing the Middle East, starting with Afghanistan and Iraq, is the policy of the administration of President George Bush.  Its humanitarian rationale should be obvious to residents of the West.  But as American foreign policy, it must stand or fall on national security.

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Michael Yon’s recent article in the American Standard is worth serious contemplation.

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Via the Barone Blog:

“Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra last week suspended and denied classified information to the unnamed staffer. According to Republican Rep. Ray LaHood, the staffer requested a copy of the April NIE three days before part of its contents appeared in the New York Times.”

So, we have probable leaker.

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It’s frustrating to discipline your home-boys.  Iraq Body Count – IBC – is the gold standard of anti-war research.  Its careful compilations of military, civilian, and contractor casualties in Iraq are used by anti-war activists the world over.

We at DD use them too – not because we agree with their looney-left politics, but because their methodology is honest and consistent.  It can therefore be used to attack their politics.

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NOT NEWS

The Central Criminal Court of Iraq convicted 65 people from September 15 to October 4 for various crimes including possession of illegal weapons; using or forging IDs and weapons permits; heading, leading, and joining armed groups; escaping from prison; attempted use of explosives; threatening another person with commission of felony against his person or property; and illegal border crossing.

NOT NEWS

Soldiers detained 15 suspected insurgents, discovered two vehicles being fitted as suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, and found a significant weapons cache during Operation Dealer, Oct. 12, in the Ta’meen area in western Ramadi.

NEWS

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah are running Shia death squads in Iraq–according to no less a source than Moqtada al-Sadr.

If there are Iranians and Hezbollah terrorists out killing Sunni and other political enemies in Iraq, they are not there just for the shear joy of killing Sunni Arabs.

There is a larger method to the killings.

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For months now, there has been a low level meme in the MSM about a pending coup in Iraq.

No, it will not be a Thai style coup, as much as a voluntary change in form of government.

David Ignatius has the latest iteration of the proposed coup via Realclearpolitics.

Calling any of the options in Ignatius’ column a coup is a disservice to the bananna republic colonels in mirrored sunglasses everywhere.

When the current elected leadership voluntarily steps aside, it is not a coup.

Bringing back Ayad Allawi as a “strongman” is not a coup.

But, I guess coup sounds more menacing than change in government.