U.S. Embassy Cable Details Deteriorating Situation In Iraq

Despite the administration's effort to portray the situation on the ground in Iraq as manageable, a new Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) document from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad (six page PDF) details the security problems being faced by Iraqi employees of the embassy.

The topics covered include: a crackdown on womens rights, power cuts and fuel shortages, kidnappings and threats of worse, security forces distrusted, supervising a staff at high risk, and "Alasas"- informants who are on the watch for people who cooperate with the Americans.

The embassy reported these facts back to headquarters so that policymakers in Washington would have a more realistic appraisal of daily life in Baghdad.

Assertions from pro-war elements that things are getting better for Iraqis will now be seen as clearly nothing other than intentional lies to prolong our ill-fated endeavor in Iraq.