Escalating Reprisals

Yesterday night's bombing of the Shi'ite al-Zahra' mosque in Baghdad, killed three, amongst them these two young girls and wounded 19 others sufficiently seriously to require hospitalisation. As the bombers no doubt intended there were reprisals today. Gunmen are engaging each other and civilians are being caught in the crossfire, motorists are being stopped at checkpoints and shot if their identity cards have typically Sunni names. The attacks and counter-attacks are still continuing so far at least 50 have been killed, the number of wounded is as yet impossible to estimate. Tensions are particularly high at the moment as many believe that the occupation are targetting Shia Baghdadis indiscriminately in an an attempt to reduce the power of Muqdata al-Sadr. markfromireland