Blog 10: Series of Bombings Kills More Than 20 Across Iraq, Teresa Lindsey. 04/18/2014 8:50 a.m.

Summary

The article titled “Series of Bombings Kills More Than 20 across Iraq” discusses several incidents that took place over the course of a week beginning on Sunday when militants with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria gained control of the main road that connects Baghdad with the Northern provinces, while a series of blasts occurred around Iraq that left up to 25 people dead. The deadliest bombing of the day was a car bomb that detonated as a joint patrol for the police and army passed through Mosul in the north, which killed 10 and wounded 12 others. Five people (including an oil executive) were kidnapped while traveling on the road in Salahuddin Province by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a powerful jihadist group that was once affiliated with Al Qaeda. All of these attacks happened less than a week after the 11^th anniversary of the toppling of a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad and two weeks before the first parliamentary elections (which are scheduled to take place at the end of the month), since the United States withdrew from Iraq in 2011. According to security sources, in Kirkuk in the north, a suicide bomber blew himself up near a security checkpoint which resulted in killing eight people. Also in Salahuddin Province, gunmen attacked the home of a Sunni tribal fighter, killing three members of his family and near a police checkpoint a car bomb exploded killing four police officers.

Analysis

This article highlights the continuing acts of violence that have been centered around politics and/or religion It almost seems as though these coward criminals think that if they go around detonating car bombs and shooting innocent people that somehow it will deter people from participating in elections or going to church/mosque to serve whatever God you worship. Whatever happened to being an individual and having the right to choose in this world? I think everyone should be able to go to the grocery store, school, church, the mall, or just sit in the park on a sunny day enjoying the sunshine without having to be on edge and constantly looking over your shoulder eyeing everyone to see if they are acting suspicious. To live your life in fear of being attacked for just being who you are and believing in what you believe in is something no one should ever have to endure. I was taught growing up that you shouldn’t have hate in your heart for anyone so it bothers me to read these articles where this group or that group have bombed this building or this car bomb went off or this suicide bomber killed himself and many others too. In my opinion all of these killings are senseless and they need to stop because innocent people are dying because someone else has a problem with who they feel they should elect into office or who they feel they should worship.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/14/world/middleeast/series-of-bombings-kills-more-than-20-across-iraq.html?ref=middleeast