18 August 2005

Iraq falls off the front page

Interesting how Gaza seems to have replaced Iraq on the front page. But the news from Baghdad remains horrific. From The New York Times (here):
"BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 17 - Three car bombs exploded Wednesday in quick succession in and around a crowded bus station in Baghdad, killing at least 43 people, injuring 88 and paralyzing one of Iraq's most important transportation networks.
The assault, the deadliest in a month, took place at the height of morning rush hour at Iraq's equivalent of the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan.
It appeared to be aimed at Shiite Arabs boarding buses and shared taxis bound for cities in the south, and further inflamed sectarian tensions. The attack also underscored the Sunni-led insurgency's ability to strike, seemingly with ease, at some of the most important infrastructure.
The bombings coincided with the formal resumption of negotiations over the new constitution, which is now due by Monday, after the Parliament voted for a one-week extension of the deadline. The three major ethnic and sectarian groups in Iraq - the Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs and Kurds - remain deadlocked on fundamental issues that will shape the future, particularly the right to carve out autonomous regions. The Bush administration is putting enormous pressure on Iraqi leaders to complete a draft this week.
The explosions on Wednesday began at 7:50 a.m., sending body parts and debris flying across the Nahda bus terminal in central Baghdad. Horrified survivors rushed in a wailing frenzy from the vast open-air lot. The Iraqi police quickly shut down the area and began moving through the charred hulks of buses, sifting through items that included a baby's milk bottle and bloody tatters of clothing."

If there is a way out of this quagmire (without making things worse), it would not seem to be apparent to Messrs Bush and Blair.

No comments: