“I’m afraid we’re going to have to expect this to go on,” said Mr. Rumsfeld on Sunday, referring to hit-and-run attacks which have left an estimated 31 US troops dead and scores wounded since the end of major combat on 1 May.

“There’s even speculation that during the month of July, which is an anniversary for a lot of Baathist events, we could see an increase in the number of attacks.”

‘US Warns of More Iraq Attacks’
BBC News
July 14, 2003

And Iraq has been meeting the expectations of U.S. officials ever since. ..

U.S. officials said that they hoped the deaths of the sons of Saddam Hussein would halt the attacks against U.S. soldiers, but that in the short term, there might actually be an increase in those attacks.

‘Officials Predict Violence Spike in Iraq’
WBUR.com
July 23, 2003

“In the immediate phase ahead of us between now and the end of June, we will actually see an increase in attacks, because the people who are against us now realize that there’s huge momentum behind both the economic and political reconstruction of this country,” administrator L. Paul Bremer said in a televised interview.

‘Bremer predicts an increase in attacks in Iraq’
CNN.com
December 5, 2003

“In terms of length of low-intensity conflict, I think that what I can tell you is that we expect to see an increase in violence as we move towards sovereignty here at the end of June,” Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said.

‘U.S. commander: Violence likely to increase’
CNN.com
December 8, 2003

At the hearing, Abizaid spoke in somber tones as he assessed the situation in Iraq, offering a sometimes grim view of the challenge in bringing stability to Iraq.

He predicted “the situation will become more violent” after the June 30 handover to an interim government “because it will remain unclear what’s going to happen” between then and the end of the year, when elections are to be held to begin the process of writing an Iraqi constitution.

‘General: Iraq Violence Likely to Increase’
Washington Post
May 19, 2004

President Bush sought to rally Republican lawmakers around his Iraq plan Thursday, saying Iraqis are ready to “take the training wheels off” by assuming some political power.

He warned that violence is likely to worsen as that transfer approaches, and after it passes.

‘Bush Holds GOP Pep Rally On Iraq’
CBS News
May 20, 2004

A US commander has warned that the level of violence in Iraq is likely to increase – not decrease – after sovereignty is returned to Iraqis in a week.

Marine General Peter Pace, vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said insurgents were likely to step up attacks against US troops and Iraqi civilians as the country moves towards installing a permanent representative government in elections next year. “We should expect more violence, not less, in the immediate weeks ahead,” General Pace said at an often contentious hearing of the House Armed Services Committee.

‘Top marine warns of post-handover violence’
The Age (Australia)
June 24, 2004

“There’s no question but between now and the end of the year the terrorists are determined to try to prevent the elections from taking place and from taking place on time. And they will, without a doubt in my mind, increase the level of violence between now and then.”

‘Rumsfeld Addresses National Press Club’
CNN.com
September 10, 2004

Warning that violence likely will escalate as the January elections in Iraq near, Bush vowed that the United States would remain resolute in its mission.

‘Allawi: Thank You, America’
Fox News
September 23, 2004

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has forecast more violence in Iraq ahead of planned January elections but says he has not yet decided on a U.S. request for back-up from UK troops.

‘MPs vent Iraq troops fury on Blair’
CNN.com
October 20, 2004

“Incidents of violence have gone up, as we predicted that they would go up prior to sovereignty being passed and subsequent to sovereignty being passed as we move towards the Iraqi elections,” the secretary remarked at a Pentagon press briefing with Republic of Korea Defense Minister Yoon Kwang Ung at his side.

Consequently, reported increased insurgent activity before the Iraqi elections slated for January “is not news,” Rumsfeld said.

‘Officials Expected Increased Violence in Iraq, Rumsfeld Says’
DefenseLINK News
October 22, 2004

Air Force Brig. Gen. Erwin F. “Erv” Lessel, deputy operations director for Multinational Force Iraq, said during a Jan. 7 interview with Fox News Channel that increased violence was likely as insurgents continued their attempt to derail the election process.

‘Violence Escalates as Crackdown on Insurgents Continues in Iraq’
Veterans News and Information Service
January 8, 2005

[Allawi] wouldn’t say what share of the electorate he expects to turn out to vote … and repeated his fear that violence likely will worsen as insurgents step up attacks to try to disrupt the balloting.

‘Suicide Bomb Blast in Green Zone’
SBS TV (Australia)
January 24, 2005

[Australian Defense Minister] Robert Hill: “We, of course, were aware of the increase in violent incidents in the lead up to the election. The insurgents are determined to defeat the electoral process and so the attacks are not only against Coalition forces but against really anyone within Iraq who is playing an official role in relation to the elections. We expect that a high level of violence will continue for the foreseeable future.”

‘Poll won’t stop violence in Iraq, Hill warns’
ABC (Australia)
January 27, 2005

Air Force General Richard Myers said Iraqi insurgents and Islamic extremists in Iraq and Taleban and al-Qaida remnants in Afghanistan would increase their attacks against U.S. and coalition forces and local populations as major political events draw closer in each country.

‘Top US General Warns of Violence in Iraq, Afghanistan as Elections Near’
GlobalSecurity.org
July 14, 2005

Britain and the US yesterday warned of a surge in violence in Iraq expected in the next fortnight in the run-up to a referendum on the country’s new constitution.

‘Iraq violence likely to rise, says Bush’
The Guardian
September 29, 2005

U.S. officials say the unrest is likely to get worse but it won’t deter voters. “There are going to be horrific acts of violence, candidly, at the point in time where [Zarqawi] can get the most international media attention,” Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, spokesman for coalition forces in Iraq, told reporters last week.

‘Campaign activity, insurgent violence rise in Iraq’
ChristiansOfIraq.com
December 5, 2005

“I predict that terrorists will try to increase violence in Afghanistan to make a statement that the country has not been pacified, and that the insurgents in Iraq will increase violence to affect our 2006 election,” Graham said.

‘Sen. Graham predicts make-or-break year in Iraq’
The Times and Democrat (South Carolina)
December 31, 2005

“As democracy advances in the form of election results and government formation, and as the military pressure continues, and the pressure generated by political progress increases, we expect more violence across Iraq,” [Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition force] said at a news briefing.

‘U.S. Expects More Violence Across Iraq’
ABC News
January 12, 2006

If you’re careful to always predict disaster, no one can blame you when it comes true, right?