Iraqi Insurgents Take the Offensive As Parliamentary Elections Approach

The Iraqi Finance Ministry in the aftermath of the August 19 attack

From The Jamestown Foundation:

Multiple bombings targeting Iraq’s governmental ministries just outside central Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on August 19 left 95 people killed and over 600 others wounded, marking the single deadliest day in 18 months. The event forced the Iraqi government to reevaluate the country’s security sector, as the attacks demonstrated the inadequacies of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the efficacy insurgents maintain in carrying out high profile and coordinated operations. As Iraqi parliamentary elections approach in January 2010, insurgents and rival political factions will likely mount an aggressive campaign to destabilize the political process and undermine the central government’s credibility in pacifying Iraq sans U.S. military presence.

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My Comment: Another depressing article on Iraq .... but with a lot of truth in it. The next year is going to be the crucial year for Iraq. Will it break apart into sectarian factions, or will it keep its unity and central authority .... this is the million dollar question. The fact that no one knows the answer with certainty tells me that unstable days are ahead for Iraq and for the day when U.S. forces finally leave.