"teribus - As already posted, Andrew Mack (from UBC), is a credible source but, "...you're citing a piece of research that is based on data collected before the uprising in Fallujah, and before the onset of the current civil war in Iraq and its concommitant attraction of every out of town jihadist from here to Margate? And before the resurgance of Taliban violence in Afghanistan."

Now let's see dianavan the article I referred to was dated 19/10/2005. The Study covers all conflicts in great detail from 1945 to 2003 (Exactly when in 2003 is not made clear). Would you agree that that amount of data might take a bit of time to process? A simple yes or no answer would suffice for this question. So just for arguements sake we'll give Professor Mack and his team 12 months to collate and analyse their data. That would allow a further 10 months for review and publication in order that the worlds press can then comment on it - seem reasonable to you?

There was an "uprising in Fallujah" ?? Are you and Choc refering to the occasion when the USMC sealed the place off and knocked seven bells out of the insurgents trapped therein? Where they succeeded in uncovering and rendering safe rather a large number of arms caches, killed rather a large number of insurgents, uncovered a few of the sites where masked men (heroes of the insurgency) cut the heads of various hostages in front of video cameras - Oh sorry, masked men conducting gruesome executions, where the victim is tortured and taunted - at least hanging is a bit quicker - bet Saddam was rather pleased that he wasn't hung in Iran. By the Bye Fallujah has not been prominent in reports concerning the "insurgency" since this "uprising" of yours.

So currently there is a "Civil War" in Iraq is there dianavan, oh and Choc + whatever other names he/she is posting as on this thread. Perhaps you could let us in on who is fighting who? Perhaps you could let us in on what the aims and aspirations of the sides contesting this "Civil War" are? Perhaps you could enlighten us as to who the leaders of the various factions are? It is after all a "Civil War" - Or so you say.

In actual fact what you have is an insurgency, which is rapidly running out of steam, and sectarian violence - Both in themselves, or combined, do not constitute a "Civil War". When was the last time you heard from Al-Queada-In-Iraq? Insurgents are supposed to be attacking the infidel occupiers - Yes? Why then are their attacks on those infidel occupiers becoming less and less effective? If "the current civil war in Iraq and its concommitant attraction of every out of town jihadist from here to Margate" happens to be the case they are being extremely inefficient and ineffective in prosecuting their cause - In short they are achieving nothing, mainly because they have nothing to achieve.

As for the upsurge in violence in Afghanistan, here are the figures for 2006 - 4000 killed 25% of those were civilians killed by either the UN or NATO soldiers and the Taleban (Bulk of civilians having been killed by the latter), which leaves about 3000 combatants killed. Now very few of that number (i.e. the 3000) are UN or NATO troops, so the bulk of the 3000 must be Taleban fighters - True? So this "resurgance of Taliban violence in Afghanistan" has resulted in the deaths of 1000 civilians, a handful of UN and NATO troops and almost 3000 Taleban fighters - I would venture to suggest that that would indicate no resurgence of Taleban anything, on the other hand it would indicate that the Taleban are taking one hell of a hammering.