Similarly, Mr. Gibson might even have assessed the tactical success of the surge in the context of the number of close air support sorties that dropped a "major munition" on Iraq in 2007. According to Anthony Cordesman, the number increased from 285 in 2004, 404 in 2005, and 229 in 2006, to 1,119 in 2007 (Nearly five times higher than in 2006 as of 5 December)." Finally, he might have assessed the tactical success of the surge in the context of focus group analyses conducted by the U.S. military last month. As Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post reports on December 19th, "Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S. military invasion is the primary root of the violent differences among them, and see the departure of 'occupying forces' as the key to national reconciliation."
But Charles Gibson has failed to provide such context and, thus, might be suspected of bullshitting his viewers about the surge. Such suspicions are strengthened when his words of December 14th are considered: "Overseas this has been a remarkable day in Iraq. Our Baghdad bureau says there were no reports of any major outbreaks of violence anywhere in the country today. This is the first time we can recall this happening since the insurgency began."
Consider that, on that "remarkable day," "at least 25 Iraqis were killed or found dead and eight more were wounded," that "in nearby Mansouriat Al-Muqdadiyah, three gunmen were killed and two villagers were wounded during a clash," that "near the Syrian border in Anbar province, a suicide bomber wounded six policemen during an attack on their station" and that "Iraqi forces killed 14 suspects and detained 30 others during security operations." [Margaret Griffis, anti-war.com, Dec. 14, 2007]. Unless one is inclined to bullshit about the success of the surge, like Charles Gibson, any one of these events would be considered a "major outbreak of violence," were they to occur in the United States.
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