37% more US troops in Baghdad, ZERO effect.

OK, maybe it's time to admit what we're doing isn't having any effect, maybe even admit that what we're doing is having the opposite effect as what we would want.

In today's Times...

...Mr. Rumsfeld said the number of Iraqi and American troops in Baghdad had increased to about 55,000 from 40,000 to deal with the surge in attacks in the city. But the increase has not noticeably restrained the sectarian bloodletting, mostly between Sunnis and Shiites...

sheesh...

Adding 15,000 heavily armed troops to the mix has no effect. A 37% increase has NO EFFECT.

Can you say quagmire?

More than 130 people have been killed in or around Baghdad during the past four days, underscoring the persistence of violence that has convinced many Iraqis that the country is already in the throes of a low-level civil war.

"Low level"?

Tell that to the kids we send over there, and their families.