A Shot To the Heart In Baghdad

[ECH1969]

BAGHDAD, Oct. 20 -- Two hours after the explosion, the fifth grade classroom was silent and deserted, the air still lightly tinged with smoke. Abandoned grammar books lay open to Thursday's lesson, which was also printed on the blackboard.

At least one student was killed and four were wounded in the attack at the Tigris Mixed Primary School in the well-to-do Mansour neighborhood. In Baghdad, where even far larger death tolls can generate little notice these days, the bombing was a grim and unexplained twist of fate.

"They are supposed to be safe here," said Ziad Nasseri, who was shopping nearby when he heard the blast just after 11 a.m. He ran to the school as frightened students were fleeing the building and found his son, Zaid, 9, whose shirt was soaked with another child's blood.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102001958.html

[ckramer]

1. well-to-do Mansour neighborhood?

Targets...

[ECH1969]

2. What do they mean by

Mansour neighborhood?

[Erika]

3. Yeah, why are some neighborhoods well to do?

I thought we were paying the way for all Iraqis. We are giving Iraqis and Israelis universal health care paid for by U.S. citizens who allow poor people to die here if they don't have the money for health care.