It seems that at least once a week there is a story of a suicide attack somewhere in the Muslim world; be it in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, etc. This has become such a common occurrence that most of us are desensitized to it. We hear or read about these events with little if any additional thoughts and probably no emotion. Yet I believe that it is important for individuals who read these news articles to stop and think, to try to analyze what it must have taken to mold the mindset of a person to the point that one is willing to strap on a vest or belt loaded with explosives and end his life by blowing himself to pieces.
It is common knowledge that these insane acts are carried out exclusively because of religious indoctrination. Only religion, which promises life after death, can convince people to commit such atrocities. Yet 90% of Americans support this crazy notion of life after death. And while few if any Americans are willing to sacrifice their lives for their faith, it is important that we recognize the potential danger of these crazy beliefs. For until such time as we no longer continue to make excuses for religions and the ignorance associated with religious fanaticism, we will not advance as a species. In fact, the day may come when it is religion that does as in. Should this sound like a crazy notion, just think of the loss of life that one of these crazy individuals or groups of individuals could cause should they get their hands on nuclear and/or biological weapons, possibly triggering a world war. As Albert Einstein once wrote: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. Food for thought… TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
BAGHDAD – A deputy police commander says a suicide bomber targeting Iraqi soldiers collecting their paychecks has killed eight people in the western city of Haditha.
Waid Khalif said Thursday that the suicide bomber walked up to a crowd of Iraqi army personnel outside a bank in the city, 140 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad.
He said six soldiers and two civilians were killed in the attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but al-Qaida in Iraq often targets security personnel.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
BAGHDAD (AP) — The former prime minister who led a political coalition heavily supported by Iraq’s minority Sunnis has turned down a position in the nation’s new government, spokeswomen said Thursday, in a step that could leave Sunnis further marginalized.
Ayad Allawi’s political bloc, Iraqiya, narrowly won the most seats in last year’s parliamentary election, but he was outmaneuvered by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who kept his job after drawn-out political negotiations. As a compromise to keep Allawi — and his Sunni supporters — in the political process, the U.S. pushed for him to head a council that would serve as a check on al-Maliki’s powers.
Allawi has wavered on whether he would take the position as head of the National Council for Strategic Policies as both sides argued over how much power the body would have. If the decision announced Thursday holds, it would strengthen al-Maliki’s grip on power. It would also again risk alienating Sunni Arabs whose marginalization after the fall of their patron Saddam Hussein helped fuel the insurgency.
A spokeswoman for Allawi, Intisar Allawi, said Thursday that the former prime minister told his political allies during a meeting late Wednesday after returning from abroad that he would not head the council.
A spokeswoman for Iraqiya, Maysoun al-Damlouji, said that because there have been no developments on creating and empowering the council, Allawi thought that “…there is no point in chairing the council.”
By stepping aside, Allawi also distances himself from political responsibility as Iraq goes through deepening anti-government protests over shoddy services and corruption.
Allawi is a secular Shiite who enjoys great support from Sunni Arabs in Iraq and abroad who view al-Maliki as a pawn of Shiite power Iran.
From the beginning, al-Maliki and Allawi supporters clashed on how powerful the council would really be. Allawi and Iraqiya wanted the council’s powers and his leadership of it to be voted on by parliament, fully funded and able to overrule al-Maliki’s decisions.
Al-Maliki supporters wanted it to be limited to an advisory position overseeing a body packed with representatives from all political groups, virtually ensuring it would not be able to come up with a uniform position on any political decisions.
An adviser to al-Maliki said the council was designed to satisfy Allawi and that his refusal to take it would not have much impact on the Iraqi political scene.
Meanwhile, the Baghdad mayor has become the latest Iraqi political figure to fall victim to anti-government protests sweeping the country. A government spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi, said Mayor Sabir al-Esawi submitted his resignation to al-Maliki on Thursday. He said the prime minister has not decided whether to accept it.
Thousands of people took to the streets last Friday in Baghdad and cities around the country in anti-government protests railing against corruption and shoddy public services. Two governors have already stepped down as a result of the protests, that were inspired by the demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia.
Al-Maliki has scrambled to show that he is responding to constituents’ demands by sacking governors, delaying military purchases to buy food instead and cutting lawmakers’ salaries.
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Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana and Hamid Ahmed contributed to this report.
