- #1
Futobingoro
Full quote:
NY Times article
ABC article, with the Petraeus slides
On the other hand (from ABC article):
Rep. Tom Lantos:
What conclusion is to be drawn from this? Are these figures indicative of progress in Iraq? Or has Petraeus "cooked the books" as some have suggested?
My analysis:
Slide 3: I do not see any manipulation of data here. All the bars seem to represent 21 day periods, and there are enough data points to suggest an overall decline in violence.
Slide 4: Inconclusive. There was a marked decrease in civilian casualties prior to the surge.
Slide 7: Few data points, but suggest a decrease in IEDs since the start of the surge.
Slide 8: Again, inconclusive. Anbar attacks had already begun a downward trend prior to the surge.
Slide 9: I can't read any effect of the surge here.
As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the surge are, in large measure, being met.
NY Times article
ABC article, with the Petraeus slides
On the other hand (from ABC article):
Rep. Tom Lantos:
I don't buy it.
What conclusion is to be drawn from this? Are these figures indicative of progress in Iraq? Or has Petraeus "cooked the books" as some have suggested?
My analysis:
Slide 3: I do not see any manipulation of data here. All the bars seem to represent 21 day periods, and there are enough data points to suggest an overall decline in violence.
Slide 4: Inconclusive. There was a marked decrease in civilian casualties prior to the surge.
Slide 7: Few data points, but suggest a decrease in IEDs since the start of the surge.
Slide 8: Again, inconclusive. Anbar attacks had already begun a downward trend prior to the surge.
Slide 9: I can't read any effect of the surge here.