Iraq's insurgency shows staying power
With a string of bombings today in Baghdad, and Sunni militants still in control of parts of Anbar Province, Prime Minister Maliki's iron fist does not seem to be deterring insurgents.
With a string of bombings today in Baghdad, and Sunni militants still in control of parts of Anbar Province, Prime Minister Maliki's iron fist does not seem to be deterring insurgents.
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A string of deadly explosions rocked central Baghdad today in a fresh eruption of violence between Sunni militants, still in command of areas of Anbar Province, and the government, bent on pursuing a hard line toward the insurgency ahead of April elections. 聽聽
Escalating violence already made January the most deadly month in Iraq in almost six years, with more than 1,000 people killed, the BBC reports. With a standoff in Anbar and strikes pounding cities across the country on an almost daily basis 鈥� today鈥檚 blasts in Baghdad follow a rocket attack on Fallujah聽on Tuesday 鈥� chances for a peaceful resolution appear slim.
The most violent blast today took place across the street from the Iraqi foreign ministry, on the edge of the international Green Zone. Soon after, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives belt at a nearby falafel restaurant, the Associated Press reports. Another car bomb was detonated in Khilani Square in the city's commercial center. Authorities managed to diffuse the fifth bomb near the oil ministry before it went off, according to the Agence France-Presse. At least 24 people died.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, although the blasts bear the hallmarks of Sunni militant groups, which have launched similar coordinated attacks in the past, AFP reports.
海角大神鈥檚 Dan Murphy explains that the rise of violence聽has its roots in urgent political grievances of the country鈥檚 Sunni majority and in聽 Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government鈥檚 stubborn refusal to address them:
Despite facing pressure from the diplomatic community to seek a negotiated resolution to the present conflict, the government has taken a hard line against the insurgents, vowing to show no weakness as April parliamentary elections loom.
Standoff in Anbar
The standoff in Anbar Province has persisted for several weeks, as government forces struggle to oust Sunni militants who have taken control of parts of Ramadi and the entire city of Fallujah.
A prominent tribal leader allied with the government said the attack was 鈥渋mminent,鈥� according to AFP, although the government has so far been reluctant to unleash an all-out ground assault:
But with no negotiations underway, how long the standoff will continue in the face of daily eruptions of violence throughout the country remains unclear.
Reuters reported on Monday that government forces killed 57 militants in Anbar Province, citing figures provided by Defense Ministry officials, who hinted at a possible upcoming assault on the rebel-held city of Fallujah.