What GOP "Called A Decline in Violence" in Iraq?
David Herszenhorn reported from Washington Thursday on the Democrats' latest attempt to withdraw troops from Iraq in "House Approves Funds For Military, With Strings."
"The bill was approved by 218 to 203, with 4 Republicans joining 214 Democrats in favor in a vote just before 10 p.m."
He didn't mention that while four Republicans did vote for the bill, 15 Democrats voted against it.
"The debate over war financing also provided a forum for Republicans to praise recent developments in Iraq, including what they called a decline in violence."
What does Herszenhorn mean by what Republicans "called" a decline in violence? It's not as if the figures are in doubt.
As a National Review editorial today elucidated:
"In the Democrats' version of events, mortar and rocket attacks are not at their lowest level in nearly two years, and half the level of October 2006; car bombs and roadside bombs in Baghdad are not down more than 70 percent from before the surge; civilians deaths didn't fall below 900 in October, down from nearly 2,000 in January; enemy attacks haven't dropped for four straight months; the number of Coalition troops killed in action hasn't fallen over the same months, to the lowest level since February 2004."
