Comments on: The Burden Of Proof http://commentsfromleftfield.com/2007/11/the-burden-of-proof Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:39:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: cavedog http://commentsfromleftfield.com/2007/11/the-burden-of-proof/comment-page-1#comment-13268 cavedog Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:28:08 +0000 http://commentsfromleftfield.com/2007/11/the-burden-of-proof#comment-13268 ISF and American casualties were trending down before al-Sadr's cease-fire, which was called on 8/29 or 8/30. The most obvious downward trend correlating with that date is the halving of Iraqi civilian casualties. In the same term ISF casualties actually rose very slightly. So Brandon Friedman has a chronological monkey wrench in his argument. That said, I don't think there's much disagreement about this being the Iraqis' war and that they're going to have to win it, which means in the short term political reform and in the long term social reform, neither of which the US is going to be much help with. I think that's why we're at a point where American military officials are getting frustrated that the IG hasn't used the increased state of security to get the political side of things moving. The leaders involved know that the Iraqis have to get moving if they want to win this. ISF and American casualties were trending down before al-Sadr’s cease-fire, which was called on 8/29 or 8/30. The most obvious downward trend correlating with that date is the halving of Iraqi civilian casualties. In the same term ISF casualties actually rose very slightly.

So Brandon Friedman has a chronological monkey wrench in his argument.

That said, I don’t think there’s much disagreement about this being the Iraqis’ war and that they’re going to have to win it, which means in the short term political reform and in the long term social reform, neither of which the US is going to be much help with.

I think that’s why we’re at a point where American military officials are getting frustrated that the IG hasn’t used the increased state of security to get the political side of things moving. The leaders involved know that the Iraqis have to get moving if they want to win this.

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