Worst quarter ever:It's a statistical artifact (there have been bloodier consecutive 3 month periods), but telling none the less. Here are the
U.S. fatalities in Iraq, measured by quarter. (March 2003, with 65 deaths omitted)
Even discounting this peculiar statistical result, it sure doesn't look like progress is being made.
posted by Quiddity at 1/04/2007 09:41:00 PM
The big statistical anomaly that throws these charts off is a couple of amazing spikes in 2004, in April and November.
What was going on then? April was a simultaneous rebellion in Fallujah and by the Mahdi army in Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf. The result was half of Iraq in uprisings and the United States backed down.
The November blip was the US second go round with the Mahdi army, with equally disastrous results.
Interestingly the second go round with the Fallujah didn't produce an unusual spike of casualties.
