Good thing al-Maliki asserted his independence from the Americans and lifted his blockade, eh? By Sameer N. Yacoub for Associated Press, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A motorcycle rigged with explosives blew up Thursday in a crowded market in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City district, killing at least seven people and wounding 45, police said.It was the first bombing in Sadr City since Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the lifting Tuesday of a weeklong security blockade on the district.
Meanwhile, at least 119 Iraqi policemen were killed in shootings, abductions and bomb attacks last month, the Interior Ministry said Thursday, underscoring the toll Iraq's relentless violence is inflicting on the poorly trained and underequipped force.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on a trip to France that it would take his country two or three years to set up its own security forces and send U.S.-led troops home.
Sadr City is a stronghold of the Mahdi Army militia, which is loyal to radical anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Police Lt. Thaer Mahmoud said the explosives went off at around 4 p.m. in the Mereidi market, one of the neighborhood's most popular commercial centers.
At least seven people were killed and 45 wounded, some seriously, police Capt. Mohammed Ismail said.
l think that al-Maliki is doing Hugh's bidding, that is allowing the killing of muslims on muslims. hey the American soldiers where just in the way of good ol muslim killing each other, al-Maliki just removed the road bloack away.
Look at the mentality of these savages that we are trying to “Free”. All the denominations of Muslim are equally worthless.
They really are like bad little boys with bombs, all the way down to their woman-hating club. You let the juveniles off of punishment (Out of time out) and they act up again.
There will never be hope for the stone-age buffoons.
What amuses me here, almost, is that the Sunnis are such incredibly ruthless dogs. They are killing all of these Shiites still. They are a minority who have ruled this country with an iron thumb, even going so far as to massacre majority Shiites. Now, they continue their oppression.
What is the real situation here? We pull out... guess what? The Sunni protection is gone. Sure, we are fighting them and they claim to be fighting us (though killing mostly Shiites)... but, ultimately, the Shiites are held back because we are there.
They don't go and massacre the Sunnis because they know we wouldn't be fine with that.
This bothers me only because I know the Left will have a hay day here when this happens... they will blabber on and on about how "Iraq didn't work".
These things said, I am one of the few who actually believe we should stay there as long as needed. We are killing Al Qaeda there and other Islamists. That is what we should be doing. We are at war with these people. They started it, they are instigating it. They have no just causes, all unjust. Iraq is not a just cause for any of them -- except to murder Shiites and cause general chaos.
They are the bad guys serving bad means for bad purposes. We could have these fights out anywhere, it doesn't matter. If we aren't fighting them in Iraq... they will come here. Those who do not understand that are cowards and liars with their heads in the sand.
I think this war is going better than expected. They are all just killing each other. Great!
The blockade was lifted Tuesday?
(counts on fingers) It took them two days to blow something up and kill some Iraqis?
Damn, they weren't ready, huh?
The crazies keep showing what a mental disease their "religion" really is. Maybe it should be called the killing sickness.
...the poorly trained and underequipped force...
I knew it was my fault somehow, thanks AP.