More than 80 dead in Iraq blast

BBC ^ | April 17th 2007 | Reporters

[Cardhu]

More than 80 dead in Iraq blast

There has been a recent upsurge in violence

At least 82 people have been killed in a car bomb blast in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security officials say.

The attack, on a food market in the Sadriya area of the city, left scores of people injured.

The blast was one of a series of bomb attacks which struck mainly Shia areas of the city, leaving at least 120 dead.

The blasts came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said Iraqi security forces would assume control of the country by the end of the year.

On Monday, the Iraqi parliament bloc loyal to radical cleric Moqtada Sadr withdrew from the cabinet, demanding Mr Maliki set a timetable for a US troop withdrawal.

Bodies

The worst attack happened in Sadriya, where police said more than 80 people were killed in a blast at a food market.

A Reuters photographer at the scene reported seeing dozens of bodies, including women and children.

Another 30 people were killed in a blast near a checkpoint in Sadr City, while 10 more died in a blast near a hospital in Karrada.

Car and suicide bombings have occurred almost daily in Baghdad in recent months, despite a US-led security crackdown since February.

The attacks came as officials from more than 60 countries attended a UN conference in Geneva on the plight of Iraqi refugees.

The UN estimates up to 50,000 people flee the violence in Iraq each month.

The US military, meanwhile, said its forces had killed five militants during a raid on near the town of Fallujah in restive Anbar province.

Thirty people were detained during the operation, the military said.

[Vigilanteman]

A Reuters photographer at the scene reported seeing dozens of bodies, including women and children.

Forgive me for thinking "too bad it wasn't the Reuters flack."

[RightOnline]

S**t. My kid’s there leading a Stryker platoon and this garbage makes me nervous as hell........not to mention PISSED OFF at our military leadership who steadfastly REFUSE to change their idiotic “rules of engagement”.

[snarks_when_bored]

 

Individual human beings are no more valuable than last week's garbage to the men who do murder most vile in islam's most vile name.

 

[RunningWolf]

Man I cant imagine what it would be like to deal with that on a weekly basis.

[Cardhu]

Al Jazeera reports that a series of car bombs across Baghdad today has killed at least 140 people and over 120 injured.

In the Sadriya market bombing alone, over 90 people have been killed and a 100 injured

[ClaireSolt]

What makes you think it would be worse than MS13? It is the media spotlight that makes it so.

[rhombus]

Why don’t they just pass more “bomb-control” laws. Yeah, that’ll work. ;-)

[leadpenny]

AP is reporting 157 deaths in Baghdad bombings today.

[RobbyS]

What are they ?

[Cardhu]

Man I cant imagine what it would be like to deal with that on a weekly basis.

Unfortunately, it is more on a daily basis.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

The locals adapt to it, though their psychosis is affected because these are the memories they are capturing continually, like the Israelis and palestinians. There is no Post Traumatic Disorder Syndrome because, there never is any “Post”. Its continual. Our soldiers, however, may feel they don’t have to get used to it, because eventually they believe they will re-deploy back home, in an environment devoid of continual carnage. And that abrupt change of environment is where they will be tested by their own demons, and their ability to overcome it.

[kabar]

These attacks are meant to influence the political equation. They are not a military threat. It is similar to what happened in Northern Ireland for decades.

[corlorde]

Morning, another thread here as well.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1819262/posts

[mcshot]

You’re coming in loud and clear. Our troops shouldn’t be used for nonsense like this. And I well remember the term “nation building”.
Best to you, your son and his comrades.

[Riodacat]

As I watch the 24/7 coverage of the Virginia Tech killings on cable news, it’s hard to imagine that this goes on every day in Baghdad - in a country 1/10th our size.

[zarf]

These attacks are meant to influence the political equation.

True. However horrific, these attack are militarily insignificant.

They are indeed powerful politcal and media weapons.

[bnelson44]

What does this have to do with ROE?

[DeerfieldObserver]

Clearly the “surge” is working. George W. Bush is a military genius!

[Maelstorm]

Yeah ban bombs. That solves the problem. lol I do think they should send a battalion of lawyers after them at least it would be a no lose situation.