New Figures Show Iraq Attacks Remain Steady

Newly declassified statistics on the frequency of insurgent attacks in Iraq suggest that after major security gains last fall in the wake of an American troop increase, the conflict has drifted into at least a temporary stalemate, with violence levels remaining stubbornly constant from November 2007 through early 2008.

The new figures, presented Tuesday at a Senate hearing in Washington by David M. Walker, the top official at the Government Accountability Office, emerged a day after eight American soldiers -- five in downtown Baghdad and three in Diyala Province -- were killed in bomb attacks. And the trend appeared to continue on Tuesday, as bombings and small arms attacks led to casualties among Iraqi civilians and security forces in or near at least seven cities.

In the deadliest of those attacks, a roadside bomb between the southern cities of Nasiriya and Basra struck a bus full of Iraqi civilians, killing at least 16 and wounding 22, Iraqi police officials said. But Iraqi security forces also recorded deadly attacks in area of Hilla, Karbala, Baquba, Mosul, Baghdad and the town of Dulia, just north of the capital.

In prepared remarks for his testimony, delivered before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mr. Walker acknowledged that the average number of daily insurgent attacks tallied by the American military has decreased from about 180 in June 2007 to 60 in the latest available count, for January. But that lower number, roughly equivalent to the levels of violence in the spring of 2005, remained essentially unchanged since the last significant decrease between October and November.

Read more on New York Times