At least 30 people were killed today in a string of bombings against Shi’ite mosques in Baghdad, a grim end to what had been a relatively quiet July for the Iraqi capital. Over 100 were also wounded in the blasts, which seemed to be timed to coincide with Friday prayers.
The bombings led to questions about the ability of the Shi’ite led government to provide security in the capital in the run-up to the January elections. Most of the bombings in the past few months have focused around Shi’ite neighborhoods and religious sites.
Several people, including MP Falah Shanshal of the opposition bloc loyal to Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have demanded that the government take responsibility and called for an investigation into the security failings that led to the latest attacks.
Some of the worshippers also suggested that the Mehdi Army, a private militia which the Sadr faction controlled but which has mostly been disbanded, should be reformed to provide security in Shi’ite areas if the government is unable to do so.
Don’t forget that the bombings are almost always blamed on the occupation since there were none before the invasion.
Followers of anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose movement is gearing up to contest national elections on Jan. 30, blamed the Americans for the recent bombings, saying they were using them as an excuse not to withdraw completely.
Sadrist protesters took to the streets in Baghdad's Sadr City district and other cities after Friday prayers, burning American flags and denouncing the violence.
"The latest criminal acts inside Iraqi cities are clear proof that there will be no withdrawal and that the occupier is trying to find pretexts to stay in our holy land," al-Sadr aide Salman al-Fraiji said.