Because the best things in life are free.

 
Collateral Damage

Al Qaeda is running out of targets to attack. Or at least if the British <em>Sunday Observer has accurate depicted the situation in Iraq. After hanging tight and attack the country's infrastructure, the Islamic terrorist network used a car bomb to damage the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad. Within a week, another car bomb killed over a hundred Shia Muslims in Najaf. Clearly, the attack on the UN envoy was to convince unaligned European and international aid workers that just because they don't wear American military fatigues that they are seen as invading Iraq too. The subsequent incident in Najaf seems to be an attempt to assassinate important social leaders who have appeased or at least worked with the United States. For the Shias, the end of a repressive Sunni regime was completely welcome and perhaps Al Qaeda either sought to punish the Shias at large or simply plunge Iraq into civil war.

The concern is that, as the Observer explains, Iraq is falling apart. L. Paul Bremer is not home, and may even be evacuated with the fear that Al Qaeda hopes to kill him next. After disabling the oil infrastructure and attacking the electricity grid, Al Qaeda, if behind both of the recent automobile bombings, may have a hard time outdoing itself. Nevertheless, the pressure on the Bush Administration grows, as other nations balk and replacing US military personnel. It may be that Bush has to hand over control to the UN and send the boys home. But the White House and Defense Department will play dumb, at least until the next car bomb.
posted by Thomas at 1:57 AM 0 comments