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Baghdad Life
Journal correspondents report on evolving conditions in Iraq

Military Acknowledges ‘Tough’ Times

By Gina Chon

At a press conference today, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner noted that the last few days have been “tough” in Iraq. Overall violence has gone down by about 60% since last year, but the number of explosions has risen in recent days. Over the past week, more than 100 Iraqis have been killed, and U.S. troops have also lost their lives.

Last Thursday, two large bombs killed 68 people in Baghdad’s Karrada neighborhood, which is known to be one of the safer areas in the capital. One of my Iraqi friends, who lives near the busy shopping district where the explosions went off, told me he watched the scene that day from his window. After the first explosion, people ran to help the victims but after the second bomb, “people were running in every direction like scared sheep. They didn’t know what to do,” my friend said. Earlier this week, eight U.S. soldiers were killed in one day in two bombings, one in Baghdad and one in Diyala province, northeast of the capital.

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The bus hit by a roadside bomb between Basra and Najaf Tuesday was towed from the scene near Nasiriyah. (Photo: Associated Press)

Gen. Bergner pointed out the overall security improvements but said the recent violence showed the resiliency of al Qaeda. Although the extremist group has been damaged, he said, “it remains lethal.”

But there has also been increasing violence in the southern region of Iraq, which is seeing infighting between Shiite groups. On Tuesday, a roadside bomb exploded by a passing bus carrying passengers from Najaf to Basra, two major Iraqi cities. Local authorities said 16 passengers were killed. The explosion was caused by what’s known as an EFP, or explosively formed projectile, a type of weapon believed to come from Iran.

In Kut, another southern city, about a dozen people were killed Tuesday in fighting between Iraqi security forces — which is largely controlled by the Shiite political party the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, and the Mahdi Army — the militia controlled by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Although Mr. Sadr last month announced an extension of a cease-fire of his Mahdi Army, not everyone is obeying him.

And in the Sunni province of Anbar, where a large part of the insurgency was based, the U.S. military is working to ensure security gains do not slip away. Tensions have been increasing in Anbar between local tribes and provincial officials, which could have ominous effects.

Mr. Bergner said al Qaeda is the greatest threat to Iraq in the near term, but that isn’t meant to exclude other dangers. He called the security situation in Iraq a “mosaic” of various threats and added, “this is still a tough fight.”

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    • We should get out of Iraq RIGHT NOW.