The title of a recently released Yahoo! article is "Bombings target government in Baghdad; 147 killed" and this comes just as US troops are getting closer to their drawdown date.

"A pair of suicide car bombings Sunday devastated the heart of Iraq's capital, killing at least 147 people in the country's deadliest attack in more than two years". Why is this so significant? "The bombings targeted two government buildings and called into question Iraq's ability to protect it's people as US forces withdraw". This is not a good sign.

"The bombings show that insurgents still have the ability to launch horrific attacks EVEN AS VIOLENCE (overall) HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY IN iRAQ". This implies that insurgents attack when civilians least expect them to do so.

"Many FEAR such attacks will only increase as Iraq prepares for crucial January elections". We step up in critical or "crucial" situations and unfortunately, so do the terrorists, who do so by using the "fear" factor, commonly called intimidation.

"The street where the blast occurred had JUST been reopened to vehicle traffic SIX MONTHS AGO", which is in the relatively recent past. "Shortly after, blast walls were repositioned to allow traffic closer to government buildings". Looking back now, this was CLEARLY a bad decision. This attack was carried out by the insurgents because they assumed that since violence overall has been down, people MIGHT become complacent or let their guard down and this time, the insurgents were right. "Such changes were touted by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a sign that security was returning to the city". Yes, that was "a sign", BUT CLEARLY NOT A VERY STRONG ONE and many civilians ended up in the crossfire.

According to al-Maliki, insurgents want "to spread chaos in the country, undermine the political process and prevent the holding of parliamentary elections". It's not as if he's doing much, if anything,to prevent, contain or stop this violence.

In a statement, President Obama also denounced this latest wave of violence: "These bombings SERVE NO PURPOSE other than the murder of innocent men, women and children and they only reveal the HATEFUL and DESTRUCTIVE agenda of those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that they deserve". Unlike al-Maliki, who seems to be completely undifferent and apathetic to what is going on, Obama seems to be genuinely angry and disturbed over these recent events.

According to Wathab Shakir, a Sunni lawmaker, "THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURITY should be checked out and interrogated" as odd as that sounds and if necessary, yes, these security personnel should be FIRED because they are clearly not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Previously, it seemed like Shiites were the victims with the Sunnis attacking and now the opposite is happening: there is violence which the SHIITE Prime Minister is doing nothing to stop with SUNNIS calling for more drastic action. " WHY SHOULD INNOCENT PEOPLE BE KILLED?" Is there any way to give al-Maliki a vote of no confidence and force him out, because this is exactly what he deserves.

According to 24-year-old Asmeen Afdhal, a 24-year-old employee of the Baghdad Provincial Administration and an eyewitness to all this madness, "THE WALLS COLLAPSED and we had to run out. There are many wounded and I saw them being taken away. THEY WERE PULLING VICTIMS OUT OF THE RUBBLE and rushing them to ambulances". Seeing this as such a young man MUST HAVE BEEN terrifying.

Finally, according to Zahid Hussain Najim, "EVERY DAY, we hear statements from different government officials that our forces are ready to control the situation on the ground WHEN THE US FORCES WITHDRAW". It seems like for al-Maliki, this day can't come soon enough. "But day after day, it has been found that THESE OFFICIALS ARE EITHER LIARS OR HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE THEIR OWN OFFICES". Heck, those politicians most likely don't know what's going on inside their own offices either. If this sounds like a disgruntled person, that's because Najim is disgruntled and disgusted by what he sees around him.