Just another day in the life and death of Iraq LXXI

By Michael J.W. Stickings

We haven't done one of these in some time, but not for lack of death. There has continued to be much of it, far too much, and today was no exception:

At least 22 people have been killed in a series of bombings and shootings in Iraq, security officials say.

Fourteen people were killed in Diyala province, north of the capital Baghdad, when militants attacked two villages.

At least six people were killed by a bomb near the northern city of Kirkuk and two people were killed by a car bomb in Baghdad.

On one side -- the happy talk, the optimism, the claims of success, from Bush and Petraeus and the war's other cheerleaders.

On the other side -- the reality of the war and occupation, the truth.

(For previous posts in this series, see here.)