Iraq: No Measurable Progress

Here’s our latest monthly, highly abbreviated version of the Iraq Index, published and updated twice a week by Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution:



Americans Killed in Action, Iraq (monthly average)
2003: 32
2004: 59
2005: 56
2006: 58
2007: 71
March: 75

Americans Killed in Action, Vietnam (monthly average)
1965: 128*
1966: 420
1967: 767
1968: 1140
1969: 785
____
* = First U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam, 5.3.65
Vietnam table compiled by Galen Fox using Defense Department sources.

Crude Oil Production (m. bbls./day)

Prewar Peak: 2.50
Goal: 2.10 (Revised downward, 1/07)
actual: 2.08 (3/07)

Electricity (megawatts)

Prewar: 3,958
Goal: 6,000
actual: 3,600 (3/07)

Since our last monthly report, the American KIA total rose from February's 66. Please note: the number of KIA is almost always lower than the media-reported total of American deaths, which covers all causes, including non-hostile. Our Iraq and Vietnam figures are KIA only.

Oil production and electricity output in March registered no change from February's figures.

New polling information shows high levels of Iraqi pessimism and skepticism about the war's progress.

Asked "How would you say things are going in Iraq overall these days?", Kurds said "good" over "bad" by 57% to 43%. But the newly-empowered majority Shia were split 50%-50%, and Sunnis said "bad" over "good" by 95% to 5%. Still, 58% of Iraqis polled favored a unified country over one split into regions or into three separate nations.

As to whether or not Iraqis supported the presence of coalition forces in Iraq, those polled answered in the negative by 78% to 22%.

A separate March poll asked Iraqis, "Do you believe the security situation in Iraq will get better or worse in the immediate weeks following a withdrawal of multi-national forces?" By 53% to 47%, Iraqis said things would get better if we left.