The situation in Iraq remained bleak throughout 2007, and looks no better for 2008.
US troop deaths hit a new high in 2007, as over 880 US soldiers had died by the first week of December. Since 2003, almost 3,900 US soldiers have died, along with 300 deaths sustained by other coalition countries.
UN estimates place the civilian death count at around 30,000 in 2007, making the two-year period of 2006-07 the most deadly for Iraqi citizens. In all, it's believed that over 80,000 citizens have perished during the American occupation, beginning in 2003.
By all counts, these are conservative figures, as the information simply hasn't been made available by the Iraqi government.
The number of Iraqi refugees grew to over four million: two million displaced domestically and over two million scattered internationally, primarily in Lebanon and Syria. The strain on these host nations' economies has been significant.
American President George W Bush's brainchild, a 'surge' of 30,000 US troops, according to some, has achieved moderate success in eliminating insurgent strongholds.
US troop deaths and civilian deaths have decreased sharply over the past two months. But reports from the front line still suggest that occupation forces are embroiled in a nearly impossible quagmire.
Image: A US soldier stands at the entrance of a building while on patrol in Baghdad's Al-Adhamiyah district.
Photograph: Ali Yussef/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: US forces not winning in Iraq: Bush
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