A Great Work Of Art

On Monday, the Pentagon put out this news release, which was trumpeted dutifully by the usual suspects in the toadysphere:

As expected, violence in Iraq has dropped following the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a coalition spokesman said in Baghdad today.

Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said civilian and Iraqi security force casualties were at the lowest levels since the government was formed in May.

So far this month, the civilian casualty count is well below the casualty count in October and below the six-month average. The security force casualties reduced 21 percent over the past four weeks, and are at the lowest level in 25 weeks, he said.

"In Baghdad, there was a 22 percentage drop in casualties related to sectarian violence and executions," Caldwell said during a televised news conference. "Coalition forces will continue to work closely with the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces to control the sectarian violence and terrorist attacks."

That was the latest purple-finger-moment spin. Three days later, reality:

In the deadliest sectarian attack in Baghdad since the American-led invasion, explosions from five powerful car bombs and a mortar shell tore through crowded intersections and marketplaces in the teeming Shiite district of Sadr City on Thursday afternoon, killing at least 144 people and wounding 206, the police said.

We probably shouldn't be surprised by anything that comes from Maj. Gen. Caldwell after this bit of shamelessness just a few weeks ago:

A senior U.S. general compared Iraq on Thursday to a work of art in progress and played down incessant violence and friction with Iraqi leaders as "speed bumps" on the road to stability.

The chief military spokesman in Iraq, Major General William Caldwell, used a weekly briefing in Baghdad to urge patience.

"Every great work of art goes through messy phases while it is in transition. A lump of clay can become a sculpture, blobs of paint become paintings which inspire," he said.

Unfortunately, "lumps" and "blobs" probably have a different meaning for most Iraqis right now.

Remember, this is the military leadership to which President Bush assures us he defers on tactics and strategy. For those who say that this leadership -- manifestly afflicted by poor judgment at best, and hubris and sheer idiocy at worst -- should be trusted with even more in-theater troops to command, something to think about.