Solemn observances at the Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad culminated today. Although pilgrims began to return to their homes, they remain vulnerable to attacks. At least 33 Iraqis were killed and 119 more were wounded, mostly in the capital. Due to the nature of these reports an exact count is difficult at best: The confusion of numerous or larger attacks can lead to wildly conflicting numbers and vague locations. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Parliament is to meet next Tuesday, just ahead of a constitutional deadline.
Updated at 2:49 p.m. EDT, July 8, 2010
Shi’ite pilgrims streaming in to Baghdad for Imam Kadhim observances were met by a number of bombs across the city. One blast targeting them killed or wounded over 120 people in a Sunni neighborhood. Earlier in the day, however, most of the attacks were curiously focused on areas just west of the capital. At least 84 Iraqis were killed and 362 more were wounded in these and other attacks. Meanwhile, a Rasmussen poll found that less than a third of Americans would call the war in Iraq a success, and only 55 percent think that Iraqis are better off now than under Saddam.
