Tracking The Surge In Iraq

In January 2007, President Bush announced a new strategy in Iraq that included deploying an addition 21,500 troops. The troops were to be directed primarily to Baghdad and Al-Anbar.

The move was in direct contrast to the December 2006 recommendations of the Iraq Study Group (emphasis added):

Sustained increases in U.S. troop levels would not solve the fundamental cause of violence in Iraq, which is the absence of national reconciliation. A senior American general told us that adding U.S. troops might temporarily help limit violence in a highly localized area. However, past experience indicates that the violence would simply rekindle as soon as U.S. forces are moved to another area.

As another American general told us, if the Iraqi government does not make political progress, “all the troops in the world will not provide security.” Meanwhile, America’s military capacity is stretched thin: we do not have the troops or equipment to make a substantial, sustained increase in our troop presence.

Increased deployments to Iraq would also necessarily hamper our ability to provide adequate resources for our efforts in Afghanistan or respond to crises around the world.

The following data are from the Brookings Institution, about reconstruction and security in Post-Saddam Iraq.

Number New US Troops Deployed To Iraq

• February 21 : 2,700
• March 14 : 6,000
• April 4: 9,500
• May 1: 13,200
• June 18: 16,700

* According to Lt. Col. Carl Ey, as of March 1, 2007, there were 10,000 US troops deployed throughout Iraq as a result of the troop increase announced by President Bush in January 2007. Figures from previous months suggest that this represents a net increase of troops, with the total number in theater going from approximately 130,000 in mid-February to 141,000 in early March 2007.

US Troops Committed To The Surge

• January - 21,500 - Combat
• March 1 - 2,400 - Support
• March 7 - 2,200 - Military Police
• March 10 - 129 - Provincial Reconstruction
• March 17 - 2,600 - Combat Aviation
• Total - 28,829

US Fatalities by Location - Pre/Post Surge

Seven Weeks Prior to Surge - 113 Total

• Baghdad - 29
• Anbar Province - 46
• Diyala Province - 10
• Rest of Iraq - 28

First Seven Weeks Of Surge - 116 Total

• Baghdad - 53
• Anbar Province - 31
• Diyala Province - 15
• Rest of Iraq - 17

Average Number Daily Insurgent Attacks In Baghdad

• Feb-June 05 - 20.3
• Aug 05-Jan O6 - 21.0
• Feb-May 06 - 28.9
• May-Aug 06 - 30.3
• Aug-Nov 06 - 39.5
• Nov 06-Feb 07 - 44.8
• Feb-May 07 - 50.7
• Cumulative - 33.6

Average Number Daily Insurgent Attacks In Iraq

• Feb-June 05 - 61.8
• Aug 05-Jan O6 - 81.1
• Feb-May 06 - 89.9
• May-Aug 06 - 113.4
• Aug-Nov 06 - 152.9
• Nov 06-Feb 07 - 148.9
• Feb-May 07 - 159.8
• Cumulative - 115.4

US Military Killed by IEDs

2006

• Jan - 24
• Feb - 36
• Mar - 12
• Apr - 45
• May - 36
• June - 33
• July - 21
• August - 29
• September - 29
• October - 52
• November - 38
• December - 72

2007

• Jan - 34
• Feb - 25
• Mar - 51
• Apr - 60
• May - 82
• June - 57
• July - 46
• August - 32

Total through 9 September 2007: 1,488 (39.4% of all fatalities)
Chart

Percentage of IEDs found and disarmed

• Dec 2003 - 40%
• Nov 04 - Feb 05 - 38%
• Feb-Aug 05 - 37%
• Aug 05-Feb 06 - 38%
• Feb-May 06 - 45%

Killed and Wounded In Multiple-Fatality Bombings

Total as of 9 September 2007:
Killed: 14,554
Wounded: 29,188
Chart

Detailed Breakdown of Deaths Associated With Multiple-Fatality Bombings