VIOLENT DEATHS IN IRAQ dropped dramatically in August. As I’ve said before, I think it’s a mistake to make much of these short-term trends, but given all the press that bad news gets, it’s at least worth mentioning them.

UPDATE: Matoko Kusanagi emails: “Yesterday 64 civs died, 287 wounded. I wonder if the jihaadis see the declining death stats in the media (like for august) and work feverishly to pump up the number of deaths.”

Sounds like middle-managers trying to make a quota. But wouldn’t that dynamic lead to a spate of attacks at the end of the month, before the period closes?

The bottom line, though, as noted above, is that it’s only the long-term trends that matter. What’s disturbing is that the press tends to report short-term, and to emphasize bad news over good.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Looks like the good news may have been in error.