SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/345553_deadlyed.html

Iraq War: No lull in deaths

Last updated December 31, 2007 4:10 p.m. PT

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Those who feel that the lull in sectarian violence in Iraq equals a victory for our forces should consider this: According to The Associated Press, 2007 was the deadliest for our troops since the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.

That's 899 flag-draped coffins that weren't photographed, and as many American families who had a tough time celebrating the holidays this year as they mourned the faces they kissed goodbye but will never get to see beaming beneath a "Welcome Home" banner. So far, 3,902 U.S. troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians have died in the war.

We hope that this troop surge, this escalation in the loss of life, somehow pays off in helping to taper off the violence that has destroyed the lives of Iraqis. Too many of them have died because of our president's hubris in thinking Iraq's invasion could be easy. "Mission Accomplished"? No way.

We want Iraqi refugees to return to their country to rebuild their cities, schools and communities. But should all that happen, we're still at a loss as to how anyone could spin the "surge" as a success. The gains so far would be nothing without a voluntary cease-fire by key militia groups and Iran's co-operation with clamping down on the flow of weapons to Shiite insurgents (although the Shiite quest for a slice of the country's oil supply certainly won't stop).

And while it seems that presidential candidates have moved on from the Iraq war in the speeches (what with immigration, health care, Social Security, the economy and other crises looming large and all), we remind them that war fatigue in the polls is a poor reason to turn away from the topic. Hear this now (and again): We want our troops back from this ill-considered war.