Iraqis fearful after wave of attacks (News Feature)

By Kadhim al-Attabi Nov 3, 2010, 17:30 GMT

Baghdad - As they mourn the more than 140 people killed since Saturday, many Iraqis worry that the recent wave of attacks will signify a return to darker days.

The streets of the capital Baghdad were lined Wednesday with black banners listing the names of the most recent victims of the violence that has gripped the country.

'Each time I go to work, I fear that there will be an explosion along the way, and I live with this anxiety each moment from my home to work,' said Amna Khaled, a government employee.

What Iraqis fear most is a return to the scale of attacks that was seen during the sectarian strife of 2006, when thousands were killed each month in shootings and bomb blasts.

On Sunday, the country was left reeling when more than 50 people died after Islamists seized an Assyrian-Catholic church in central Baghdad just as services were coming to a close.

Just as those funerals were coming to an end on Tuesday, a series of blasts targeting mostly Muslim Shiite neighbourhoods in Baghdad killed at least 64 people and injured 360, according to medics.

Taxi driver Mehdi Saedi, 47, was driving through the eastern part of the capital when the bombs exploded.

'I was driving and then an explosion went off in a crowded area. I heard people screaming. It was a painful scene, but I drove away quickly because I feared there could be a second blast,' said Saedi, expressing a common concern.

On Saturday, Shiite Kurds appeared to be the target, with at least 30 people killed when a bomb ripped through a cafe in Baquba, just north of Baghdad.

'The security forces and intelligence services are clearly unable to prevent these attacks before they occur,' said Baghdad shopkeeper Sarmad Saleh, 48.

She also expressed concern that radical insurgents, some with ties to al-Qaeda, are still strong enough to even carry out such spectacular attacks.

Smaller blasts, meanwhile, have continued unabated - par for the course in Iraq.

'These attacks are a clear attempt at inciting sectarian strife and disrupting national unity,' Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a press statement.

The timing of the attacks was meant to 'spread terror throughout the nation,' Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani said, adding that it would make negotiations to form a new government more difficult.

Nearly eight months have passed since the country voted on March 7. The general elections failed to produce a clear winner and no ruling coalition has been formed, stalling legislation on urgent matters, such as electricity and security reform.

With the number of United States troops down to around 50,000 - the lowest since the US-led invasion in 2003 - citizens are hoping Iraqi leaders can guide the country towards stability.

But many are pessimistic.

'Our political leaders are unable to solve this problem because they live in the protected Green Zone, which is unlike any other area in Iraq. It affords them stability, security, cleanliness and a dignified way of life,' said Khaled, the government employee.

The Green Zone, home to key government offices and many officials, draws the ire of Iraqis, as the area enjoys electricity and more security than the rest of the capital.

Regular citizens, meanwhile, are left to ponder their future.

'The repetitive images and sounds of bombs that we have seen over the years is depressing and makes us think the situation will just go on as it is,' Khaled said.

Read more about Iraq Conflict