The Belmont Club considers the apparent rise in fighting and American casualties in Iraq. He notes that many in the media are giving the impression that the place is falling into chaos. Not so, he argues by way considering both the number of casulaties and their pattern. Detailed, thoughtful. He will have more to say in the days ahead. Worth marking. 
did anybody else happen notice: 150 civilian deaths in Iraq over the last 4 days; we can no longer guarantee the security of the "green zone"; a number of areas of Iraq that the army/marines no longer enter? I agree that the media is incredibly simple-minded and won’t let a bad fact get in the way of a good story, but what is going on that would lead one to believe that the general trajectory is upward and improving versus static or downward?