Iraqi army and police units are deserting their posts after the recent escalation in insurgent attacks, according to reports from around the country yesterday....

On average 20 Iraqis and two coalition soldiers have died every day this month...

The failure of the victors of January's election to form a government has resulted in the defence and interior ministries being placed in limbo, and security experts cite this as partly responsible for the subsequent fall in army and police morale.

While many sites have been boasting that we are winning (I really hope so. The sooner the Iraqi's can police themselves, the quicker our troops can leave), these latest attacks are having a chilling effect on Iraq.