According to iCasualties.org, the patterns of Iraqi deaths hasn't changed much since the U.S. escalation, or surge, began. They report that 1,802 Iraqi security forces and civilians died in January, 1,531 in February, and 1,134 so far in March, meaning that this month's total will pretty much match last month's. Among American forces, death totals are: 83 in January, 80 in February, and 70 so far in March.

Yesterday, NPR reported that morgue officials in Baghdad accuse the government of understating the number of deaths since the surge began, presumably for political reasons -- meaning that the supposedly lower figures for bodies turning up tortured, mutilated, and executed in the Iraqi capital are wrong. Still, those reported totals are creeping up again, with daily totals in the several dozens again.