A New Spike in U.S. Troop Losses in Iraq

I'm sure the surge apologists will have some kind of excuse for the failure to significantly stop the killing of American troops. The administration will probably try to change the subject, or the facts, al Qaeda or Iran. They were feeling really cocky lately. Support for the surge had risen in the polls. But you can only fool some of the people some of the time...:

Four more U.S. troops and a British soldier have died in attacks, military officials said yesterday, in a possible sign that extremists are regrouping after a drop in American deaths last month.

The spate of U.S. deaths, 19 in August, seems certain to intensify the debate over U.S. progress to calm Iraq and gain ground against enemy fighters ahead of a September report to Congress.

Now we await the great General Petraeus' report:

But U.S. commanders say rogue Shiite militias have stepped into the gap left as Sunni insurgents have been pushed back, and are now responsible for most attacks on Americans in Baghdad and surrounding districts.

Such a trend would elevate fears that Iraqi forces are not yet able to maintain security even when insurgents are beaten back. Large numbers of Iraqi police are believed also to hold allegiances to Shiite militia groups.

The spike in deaths comes as the overall number of U.S. troops in Iraq has temporarily peaked at its all-time high - nearly 162,000 - as new units arrive to replace those on the way out, the Pentagon said.

The idea the insurgents would increase their level of violence in order to effect the report is laughable:

U.S. officials also have warned that enemy fighters might try for devastating attacks before the September report, expected to be a high-level military and diplomatic assessment on U.S. strategies in Iraq and what is needed in the months ahead.