Female Sunni jihad/martyrdom bomber murders 41 at Shi'ite shrine in Baghdad

"The bomber, perhaps because she was a woman, was able to mingle among Iraqis making an annual pilgrimage to Shiite Islam's holiest shrine..." That is, she was covered up in an abaya, and thus no one saw the explosives. But in Grand Rapids they are not thinking of this kind of possibility. "Scores Die as Iraq Bomber Targets Shiite Pilgrims," by Steven Lee Myers for the New York Times, February 1 (thanks to all who sent this in):

BAGHDAD -- A female suicide bomber attacked a column of Shiite pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad on Monday, part of a convulsion of violence that has hit the capital in advance of national elections in March.

At least 41 people died and more than 100 were wounded in the attack, which took place in an industrial district on the northern edge of the city, according to initial reports from security officials, who said the toll could rise.

The bomber, perhaps because she was a woman, was able to mingle among Iraqis making an annual pilgrimage to Shiite Islam's holiest shrine before detonating a hidden vest packed with explosives, an Interior Ministry official said....

The suicide bomber in this case struck near a tent in Bob al-Sham, filled with pilgrims making their way from Diyala Province northeast of Baghdad. The toll was one of the highest in months by an individual suicide bomber....