4 blasts in Baghdad kill at least 183

Trust me. I don't relish publishing such things. But a couple thoughts come to mind. Why does it seem the insurgents are becoming better at attacking? Why does it seem the allied forces are not as nimble?

Suspected Sunni insurgents penetrated the Baghdad security net Wednesday, hitting Shiite targets with four bomb attacks that killed 183 people — the bloodiest day since the U.S. troop increase began nine weeks ago.

The most devastating blast struck the Sadriyah market as workers were leaving for the day, charring a lineup of minibuses that came to pick them up. At least 127 people were killed and 148 wounded, including men who were rebuilding the market after a Feb. 3 bombing left 137 dead.

Wednesday's car bombing appeared meticulously planned. It took place at a pedestrian entrance where tall concrete barriers had been erected after the earlier attack. It was the only way out of the compound, and the construction workers were widely known to leave at about 4 p.m. — the time of the bombing.

Why do I believe this imbroglio can never be "won"?

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Bombs Kill at Least 80 People in Iraq

It seems bomb attacks lately kill at least 4-5 dozen at once. I wonder if anyone has tracked the average number of deaths in Iraq since the coalition forces arrived. My guess is it's been steadily climbing.

Thunderous explosions and dense black smoke swirled through the center of Baghdad Monday when at least two car bombs - one parked in an underground garage - tore through a crowded marketplace, setting off dozens of secondary explosions and killing at least 71 people, police said. Another bombing nearby killed at least nine.

The blasts shattered the city center on the first anniversary, according to the Muslim lunar calendar, of the bombing of the important Shiite Golden Dome shrine in Samarra.

Oh yeah, if you follow the link, don't believe the next sentence after the last one above in my post. The bombing of the Shrine didn't trigger the current level of blood-letting in Iraq. That was already well underway before that bombing.

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Bombs away over Baghdad

Just when you thought there was nothing else out there to anger you, this pops up.

A secret air war is being waged in Iraq - often in and around that country's population centers - about which we can find out little. The US military keeps information on the munitions expended in its air efforts under tight wraps, refusing to offer details on the scale of use and so minimizing the importance of air power in Iraq. But expert opinion holds that the forms of aerial assault being employed in that country, though hardly covered in the US media, may account for most of the Iraqi civilian deaths attributed to the US-led coalition since the 2003 invasion.

While some aspects of the air war remain a total mystery, US Air Force (USAF) officials do acknowledge that US military and coalition aircraft dropped at least 50,000 kilograms of bombs on targets in Iraq in 2006. This figure, 177 bombs in all, does not include guided missiles and unguided rockets fired, or cannon rounds expended; nor, according to a US Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) spokesman, does it take into account the munitions used by some Marine Corps and other coalition aircraft or any of the US Army's helicopter gunships. Moreover, it does not include munitions used by the armed helicopters of the many private security contractors flying their own missions in Iraq. [emphasis mine]

Just how cool are you about bombs dropping in your neighborhood? Huh? Not good? Well the Iraqis agree with you.

Folks, This isn't a fucking movie. These are for real explosions which kill innocent people. Don't just sit by and watch it like a video game. Stop it.

And what's all that shit about what is not included? Sorry, but they are lying to you. Just like a 3 year old will admit, "I only took one cookie." Yeah and the Pope is a pagan.

Then we get to the private security contractors flying their own missions in Iraq. I really have no clue why everyone in Iraq doesn't want to kill anyone who isn't Iraqi. What part of the definition of "security" am I missing. Security folks must be on the offensive?

My personal opinion is Iraq is getting totally out of hand and Bush has no chance to improve the lives of Iraqis.

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