The Iraq Study Group Report does not mince words:

• "The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating."
• "Violence is increasing in scope, complexity, and lethality."

The executive summary states the violence "is fed by a Sunni Arab insurgency, Shiite militias and death squads, al Qaeda, and widespread criminality. Sectarian conflict is the principal challenge to stability." With the Kurds largely set apart in the north, the sectarian violence is between the Shia and Sunni populations. "Sunni insurgent attacks spark large-scale Shia reprisals, and vice versa." Soberingly, "[i]n some parts of Iraq - notably Baghdad - sectarian cleansing is taking place."

The report also notes that "Al Qaeda is responsible for a small portion of the violence in Iraq, but that includes some of the more spectacular acts."

In August 2006, U.S. and Iraqi forces launched "Operation Together Forward II" to clear, hold and build Baghdad - the capital city with over 6 million people. Between August and October violence in Baghdad "jumped more than 43%." "Some 3,000 Iraqi civilians are killed every month."

The Report attributes the continued violence to the fact that "militias are currently seen as legitimate vehicles of political action." While Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki "has said he will address the problem of militias," he "owes his office in large part to [Al-Sadr]" who controls the largest militia in the country, the Mahdi Army.