A new surge in sectarian violence went from a fear to a reality today, as bombings killed at least 74 people across Baghdad’s Shi’ite neighborhoods, leaving growing doubts about Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s attempts to centralize power.
Maliki, for his part, blamed the bombings on the nation’s Sunni politicians, which he has been moving against over the past few weeks. Today he doubled down on that effort, accusing the nation’s finance minister of supporting assassinations.
The finance minister is just the latest in a number of Sunni politicians being targeted, with Maliki still seeking to arrest Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who is in hiding in Kurdistan, and is demanding parliament oust Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq for publicly criticizing him.
Hashemi, for his part, dismissed rumors that he was going to flee the country, saying he was waiting for Maliki to be removed from office. With every Kurdish and Sunni Arab bloc out of the government, and Maliki indicating yesterday that they are permanently out of the political picture, the effort to centralize power is going to be increasingly unwelcome, fueling more discontent and calls for autonomous regions.
Iraq is really a fine example of what the U.S. achieves wherever it goes. It brings death and misery and unending chaos.
The U.S. should be pushed back to its own borders where it can do no more harm. Surely the millions it has killed beginning with Vietnam is enough.
Of course, with Americans, enough is never enough!
http://www.dangerouscreation.com
Not to defend America's actions in any way whatsoever; however, it was the British that created Iraq out of their imaginations wasn't it? The very creation of the nation set up conflict for generations to come. Iraq was a mess before America began sticking her nose in it.
You are correct but are too generous & forgiving to the Empire. You start counting the dead in Viet Nam while ignoring the millions that were annihilated before, like the Native peoples (just to cite one example).
Like we were never there- except for the trillions of dollars wasted ( and in dick cheney's pocket) and all the lives lost.
Thank you AIPAC..
I wouldn't be surprised if these bombings are being instigated by CIA assassins in order to plunge post-withdrawal Iraq into chaos and provide a pretext for reinvasion, or at least to serve as an illustration of what other nations that throw off the Empire's yoke can expect.
Yep! My first appraisal of recent events in Iraq and Pakistan lead me to conclude US Imperial Mercenaries are at work.
While Washington and Tel Aviv rejoice at a the thought of a job well done.
The USA and the conscripted coalition destroy Iraq and murder hundreds of thousands, set up a matchstick house of democracy, so that they can tell their people"we were successful", knowing full well that the first wind will blow it over. There is a storm brewing now. Please USA, leave the rest of the world alone and stay in your own country. Enough of your madness and destruction.
Judge the tree by it fruits. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis dead. Thousands of American soldiers dead. Over one million Iraqis displaced. Iraq's ancient Christian community destroyed. Iraq on the verge of civil war to consolidate the power of a shiite dictatorship that will closely align itsef with Iran. This is the face of victory according to Obama.
Dr. Paul has a different opinion. He thinks the Iraq war was useless. He wants to avoid another useless war against Iran. A war that the neocons are attempting to start based upon the same lies used to start the war against Iraq. Dr. Paul wants to bring ALL the troops home and end ALL the wars. These reasons, by themselves, are enough to make Dr. Paul the only choice for president.
Instead of killing each other, the idiots should target their weapons toward the common enemy, the one that created this situation in the first place.
My how dictators become so brazen when they gain the upper hand and start moving in for the kill, wasting the weak and boxing in the strong.
Can’t see why all the politicians are stalling, surely Maliki has to go or kiss goodbye all hope of democracy.