Juan Cole provides some context and asks a question about this weekend's deadly bombing in Iraq, which killed 150 and wounded 300:
Sunni Arab guerrillas drove a truck packed with a ton of explosives into a busy Shiite market, al-Sadriya, and detonated it. The enormous fireball brought down 10 surrounding buildings and scattered blood and charred body parts over the street, leaving a deep crater. Bodies are still being pulled out of the buildings. The bombing took place on the eve of the beginning of a new security sweep by the al-Maliki government.
This market has been hit several times before. So I cannot understand why they don't cordon it off and make it a walking-only market. It wouldn't stop terrorists using belt bombs, but you couldn't get a truckful of explosives there any more. And while getting supplies into the shops and delis might be harder, it could still be done with dollies. I'd put the incoming goods through an inspection regime. Unemployment is high in Iraq. It would be worth spending some money on local Shiites as guards and inspectors.
Labels: Iraq