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Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s government was rocked by three coordinate bomb attacks that devastated landmark Baghdad hotels.
The bombings, cutting through snarled traffic at the afternoon rush hour, seemed to be the latest chapter in a strategy that began in August and that has hewn to a relentlessly political logic. With similar attacks in August, October and December, insurgents have sought to wreck pillars of Baghdad’s government and civic life, proving that Mr. Maliki’s government and the security forces that he often hails are unable to preserve the state’s authority.
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The Ministry of Interior said that 36 people had been killed and 71 wounded. While the death toll paled before earlier attacks — at least 122 in August and 155 in October — they seemed to signal a new target. So far, the campaign has wrecked four government ministries, a provincial headquarters, a courthouse, colleges and a bank.
And we are to believe that invading Iraq and the trillions we’ve spent have brought stability, or that stability will be the eventual outcome?
