New York Times' desperate attempt to improve the image of Iraq: "Nevertheless, overall violence in Iraq has dropped sharply, especially since the height of the sectarian civil war in 2006 and 2007, but also compared with last year. In February, for example, 184 people were killed in attacks around the country, with the exception of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north, according to statistics from the Ministry of Interior. In February 2010, 435 were killed.
So while the daily thrum of smaller attacks goes on, the drop in violence has allowed a version of everyday life to blossom. A new Ferris wheel just opened in one of Baghdad’s largest parks, rising above the blast walls, and on Sunday, the first day of the workweek here, it was packed with families." And notice that they decided to exclude the Kurdish region.
