Wave of Violence Across Iraq Leaves 21 Dead

Wave of violence across Iraq leaves 21 dead

By Kim Sengupta
26 March 2005

Suicide bombers killed 15 Iraqi soldiers, a senior commander was assassinated and five women were murdered in an ambush in a wave of violence across the country.

The blasts at the towns of Ramadi and Iskandariyah, both centres of Sunni resistance, also injured 23 others, including two US soldiers. Insurgents also blew up one of the main pipelines supplying oil to Baghdad from the northern oilfields.

In the National Assembly, the two biggest factions, Shias and Kurds, said they were close to agreeing on a national government. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shia is expected to be named prime minister, and the Kurdish leader, Jalal Talabani, president. One vice-president is likely to be Sunni, although many boycotted the elections.In Basra, protesters demanded the oil and transport ministers should be from the southern region.

But questions were being raised on whether a viable democratic system can be established against a background of continuing strife. Although the US death toll had fallen, attacks on Iraqi security forces, as well as civilian casualties, have risen. Iraqis connected with the occupying powers remain prime targets for the insurgents. The five women, translators for the US military, were on their way home when men in two cars sprayed them with machine-gun fire in Baghdad.

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The worst part is, not that most of the victims are Iraqis most Americans will probably care even less than before.

The Vietnam War cost the United States 58,000 lives and 350,000 casualties. It also resulted in between one and two million Vietnamese deaths