Major attacks over the past few days have left hundreds more dead across Iraq, closing out the month of September with the same concerns of rising violence that have typified the entire summer.
65 more people were killed today, with major bombings in Baghdad, and 93 others were killed yesterday. Though post-occupation Iraq never really saw a drop in violence to “normal” levels, such tolls are increasingly common, and there is no end in sight.
Violence began picking up seriously in late April, when Iraqi soldiers attacked Sunni protesters, but it is increasing the spillover from neighboring Syria that is driving the sectarian clashes, and bringing monthly death tolls to a level not seen since 2007.
Though the attacks have for years been sectarian in nature, increasingly they are centering around Sunni and Shi’ite mosques, fueling anger and more revenge attacks on both sides, and bringing the nation back to the brink of full-scale civil war.
