More violence in Bagdad: obviously, the “surge” is working.

In case you missed it, there was a large explosion inside government buildings in the heart of the heavily-protected Green Zone. It killed eight people, including two members of the Iraqi Parliament. Also today, a major arterial bridge across the Tigris River was blown up and dropped into the water with several cars. That was today. So far, with 53 “Coalition” soldiers killed in just 12 days, this is looking like one of the worst months ever – the worst since November of 2004. Last week, John McCain pulled his walkabout campaign stunt in an Iraqi marketplace (outside the Green Zone) with the aid of a significant contingent of American armed forces, including helicopters and heavily armed vehicles (at who knows how much of the taxpayers' expense).

So Senator McCain, Senator Lieberman, not to even speak of the George and Dick show, can you tell us again about the progress we’re seeing from the “surge” after two months? We know, we know, the “surge” is not at full strength yet. It will be, however, when all the dead-tired soldiers whose in-country service has been extended to 15 months are in their extension period. Then you wait and see, you will see Baghdad quieter than (pick your favorite American city of the moment), and from that example peace will break out all over the country.

Oh wait a minute, the “not at full strength” line is not the talking point this week. This is the right one: “All this escalation in violence just shows how successful the surge is because they are becoming desperate.” A couple of weeks ago, it was the reduction in sectarian violence that meant the surge is working. That one has been shelved for the moment.

But surely the surge must be working if both a reduction and an increase in violence show it is.