89 Die and 318 Hurt in New Iraq Attacks

[Gunit_Sangh]

29 minutes ago

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer

BAQOUBA, Iraq - Insurgents launched coordinated attacks Thursday against police and government buildings across Sunni Muslim areas of Iraq (news - web sites) less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. The strikes killed 89 people including, three American soldiers, and wounded 318 people, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.

Most of the deaths were in Mosul, where 44 people were killed and 216 injured in attacks that included a string of car bombs. Clashes also occurred in Baqouba, Ramadi, Baghdad and other areas.


The extent of the attacks was a clear sign of just how powerful the insurgency remains — and could be the start of a new push to torpedo Wednesday's transfer of sovereignty to an interim transitional government.

link ...
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20040624/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[Beetwasher]

1. Holy Shit, Things Are Degrading At An Alarming Rate

There won't be anything left to "hand over" on 6/30...

The 6/30 hand over and PR push around it is going to make "Mission Accomplished" seem like a brilliant PR idea...

[kimchi]

2. So sad.

An escalation of death and violence, and for WHAT?

[BadGimp]

3. Quagmire Accomplished

I believe that the forces behind this violence will NEVER give up. I do not know who they are or what end they are attempting to achieve.

But they will stop at nothing to destabilize the country in an effort to bring about the changfe they desire.

Are these people Bathists, Islamists...what...A hidge podge of groups/interests?

color me confused

[Miss Authoritiva]

4. Is this the run-up to the peace we've been warned about?

Remember Bush's statement that violence would increase before the handover of sovereignty, during the handover, and after the handover. Which, of course, means that the violence will be increasing all the time.

I wonder which the Iraqis prefer: the war or the peace?

[young_at_heart]

5. Bush did warn us that things would get worse.............

before they got better!

[anarchy1999]

6. Incredibly convenient, would you not say?

n/t How many more can "the insurgents" take out between now and next Wednesday? Today looks very bad. All the more reason for the US soldiers, the reservists and the guardsmen should have to stay for many more years. We have to bring peace and democracy, "stay the course", and so on and so forth. It all seems very suspicious to me.

I really need to get some new tin foil. Maybe then I will do better with the official party line.