Running the Numbers

One of the most tiresome refrains offered up by the apologists for the bungled invasion and occupation of Iraq is that "most of the attacks are confined to the Sunni Triangle." Of course, the fact that nearly 80% of the population of Iraq lives there does tend to reduce the meaningfulness of that statement pretty sharply. However, Juan Cole links to a Brookings Institute report that estimates 60% of attacks on Coalition military forces are occurring in the Sunni Triangle, leaving 40% taking place elsewhere. In other words, proportional to the population, attacks are happening at a rather higher rate outside the Sunni Triangle than within it.

Oops.