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Morgue Data Show Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq
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"The level of sectarian violence is an important indicator of whether or not the strategy that we have implemented is working," Bush said May 10. "Since our operation began, the number of sectarian murders has dropped substantially."
A U.S. military spokesman on Tuesday acknowledged an upturn, but said it was unclear whether it amounted to a decisive shift in trend. "We've seen a slight rise in sectarian violence," said Lt. Col. Christopher C. Garver. "We're concerned about every one, obviously. We have been working to keep the sectarian violence down."
In April, the morgue data showed, 182 unidentified bodies were discovered in Baghdad. At present rates, May's tally would more than double last month's.
Aggregate figures for Baghdad and eight other provinces also show recent increases: In January, 360 bodies were found; in February, 400; in March, 451; in April, 421; and from May 1 to 22, 443.
Health Ministry officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday but in the past have disputed the accuracy of statistics not released through official channels.
The declines in sectarian violence since the beginning of the plan were largely attributed to Sadr ordering his militia, the largest and most powerful in Iraq, to lie low, even if provoked by U.S. forces or Sunni insurgents.
By March, U.S. officials were promoting the lower levels of sectarian killing as signs of progress, even as car bombings and suicide attacks rose.
On March 8, David Satterfield, the State Department's coordinator for Iraq, said the levels of "sectarian violence -- execution killings that were such a scourge in 2006," were "down over the past 60 days to the lowest level since early spring of last year. And that is a dramatic decrease."
"That's a positive thing, but it needs to be sustained," he added.
In addition to car bombs, Qanbar said, roadside bombs, the biggest killer of U.S. troops, posed the greatest challenge to the Baghdad security plan. He said the Iraqi army had acquired a limited number of high-tech devices to detect car bombs and was focusing on finding car-bomb factories.
"This is the last weapon in the hands of the terrorists," Qanbar said.
After a car bomb tore through a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad's mostly Shiite Amil neighborhood on Tuesday, killing 30 people and injuring at least 68, dozens of fighters from the Mahdi Army converged on the scene, helping the wounded and firing guns into the air. Some vowed revenge.
