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Iraq's unending nightmare
The latest gruesome bombings in Baghdad highlight a dangerous new turn.
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:44 February 3, 2008
Iraq today is just desperate for peace. The recent bombings seem to indicate that there is no end in sight to the cycle of violence. Two bomb blasts in Baghdad, which killed no less than 99 people and wounded at least 150, are the deadliest attacks in six months. Their significance stems from two important reasons.
First, they have marred the hope for a long-lasting period of calm.
Second, the tactic used highlights a dangerous new turn. Not only were mobile phones used to detonate the bombs, but also the female bombers used in the attacks had Down's syndrome, according to an Iraqi military spokesperson. This indicates an escalation that simply could not be overlooked - that organisers of such attacks have taken the most extreme measures in order to inflict as much harm as possible.
Against this background, it is surely unimpressive to have President George W. Bush warn against a hasty American pullout from Iraq. "Failure in Iraq would say to thugs and killers, the United States is a paper tiger," he said. But shouldn't the agenda at hand be about enabling a peaceful Iraq - more than anything else?
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