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Explosions in Iraq

WITH DAYS to go for the first parliamentary elections in Iraq, since the US forces have pulled out, the mosaic is already bloodied.

Scores have been killed over the weekend’s series of bomb and suicide attacks, and people seem to be de-motivated as far as electioneering is concerned. This time also, the majority community was attacked, and the responsibility was claimed by an offshoot of Al Qaeda known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Apparently, the intent was to create chaos on the eve of the polls, and distract the proud nation that has exhibited resilience in adverse circumstances. Secondly, the violence in Iraq has a regional factor. The majority community that is considered to be pro-Iran and a supporter of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad have for long been at the receiving end. Apart from sectarian fissures, the prime reason behind the anarchy and bloodshed is the inability of the government to provide protection to all communities.

Mushrooming of radical groups poses grave threats to the country’s stability and sovereignty, as these elements have an agenda that is extraterritorial and aimed at breeding terrorism. The killings in recent weeks and months have come to surpass the tragic numbers that were recorded in the 2006-2008 period, making them the bloodiest in history. When and where will this end, and what is the guarantee the upcoming legislative assembly won’t be as divisive and unresponsive as the present one? The laxity on the part of the authorities concerned and the porous nature of the nation’s geography have compounded the problem of lawlessness. This is where the government should focus on in order to eliminate terrorism.