Iraq less safe than a year ago

Iraq is a less safe place than it was one year ago and security is continuing to deteriorate, an American watchdog warned yesterday, just months ahead of a US withdrawal from the country.
The assessment by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) contrasts markedly from the view often voiced by senior US army officers who argue that levels of violence are significantly lower than in 2006 and 2007, when Iraq was in the throes of a sectarian bloodbath.
"Iraq remains an extraordinarily dangerous place to work," Stuart Bowen said in the report published yesterday. "It is less safe, in my judgment, than 12 months ago."
He added that the transition of responsibility for reconstruction from the US military to the embassy was occurring "against the backdrop of a security situation in Iraq that continues to deteriorate."