Iraq’s Monthly Death Toll Bloodiest in Two Years

The power vacuum left in Iraq following 2003 invasion was always a recipe for sectarian conflict and a magnet for al-Qaeda

by John Glaser, October 01, 2012

The death toll from militant attacks across Iraq doubled in September to 365, the highest monthly toll in more than two years, Reuters reports.

Americans can still hear Republicans in Washington crow about how the surge in Iraq worked, without noting the now obvious truth that it wasn’t sustainable. The power vacuum left in Iraq following the discretionary war in 2003 was always a recipe for sectarian conflict and a magnet for al-Qaeda to flood into the country.

While most (not all) US troops have left Iraq, sectarianism and al-Qaead remain. Insurgents have launched one major assault a month since US troops withdrew in December.

Most of the militants’ violence is directed Shi’ite Muslim targets. Meanwhile, Washington continues to prop up a corrupt Shi’ite dictatorship led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose driving out of Sunni’s and other political opponents of government hasn’t helped the sectarianism.

The latest government figures said that 182 civilians, 95 soldiers and 88 policemen had been killed in attacks in September alone, up from a total of 164 in August. An additional 683 people were wounded, 453 were civilians.

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