Viewpoint: Living with Iraq's violence

An Iraqi member of staff at the BBC Baghdad bureau reflects on the daily toll the violence is taking on the people of his country. For security reasons, the author's name is not being published.
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Violent death in Iraq is an everyday event. In Baghdad people put up signs on the street to announce deaths. I am always surprised to read one which says that someone died of natural causes.

Because it is so common, you get used to the number of violent deaths. The problem is you just bury it deep inside you. It becomes like a time bomb, you never know when it is going to explode.

All these feelings of fear, sadness and frustration burst out of me one morning last week when I lost Marwan, a relative of mine.

Marwan's day began as usual. He got into his car and started the engine. But rather than driving off, his car blew up when the engine warmed up. He died instantly.

Marwan was a police officer. I suppose that it is why he was targeted.

The tragedy didn't end there.

Continue reading @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7561611.stm

Mention the estimated ONE MILLION IRAQIS KILLED to any member of the L$M and all you receive back is a kind of glazed look...