What does it mean when the President’s beloved War on Terror not only fails to reduce the incidence of terrorism but also manages (or mismanages) to exacerbate the problem? Never mind what it means to the politicians and citizens of this nation. What does it mean to the innocents in Iraq, who must daily confront the terrifying threat and reality of the worst sort of violence and cannot even take shelter behind the illusion of safety? America has unleashed horrors upon these people that no words can truly convey. But here are some numbers nonetheless, as reported by the Washington Post:

U.S. Cites 91 Percent Rise In Terrorist Acts in Iraq

The number of terrorism incidents in Iraq — and resulting deaths, injuries and kidnappings — skyrocketed from 2005 to 2006, according to statistics released by U.S. counterterrorism officials yesterday.

Of the 14,338 reported terrorist attacks worldwide last year, 45 percent took place in Iraq, and 65 percent of the global fatalities stemming from terrorism occurred in Iraq. In 2005, Iraq accounted for 30 percent of the worldwide terrorist attacks.

The figures, compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and released with the annual State Department Country Reports on Terrorism, showed that the number of incidents in Iraq rose 91 percent, from 3,468 in 2005 to 6,630 in 2006.

Almost all of those incidents involved the death, injury or kidnapping of at least one person. All told, the number of people killed, injured or kidnapped as a result of terrorism in Iraq jumped 87 percent, from 20,685 to 38,713. [full text]