The Australian: Where carnage is fact of life [July 15, 2005]

The Australian: Where carnage is fact of life [July 15, 2005]: "Where carnage is fact of life
Stephen Farrell and Zahid Hussein
July 15, 2005

THE local kids rushed to greet the US patrol. 'Hello, Mister,' they cried to the American soldiers, who started handing out chocolate bars and keyrings. At that moment, a car sped from a side street and exploded right next to the crowd gathered around the Humvee.

As a result, more than 30 Baghdad children, aged between six and 15, are dead. The suicide bombing marked a new level of depravity even in a city used to daily carnage. But it will change nothing.

More than 80 Iraqis have been killed in at least 11 suicide attacks since London had its first taste of suicide bombings a week ago.

In the first half of this year more than 1000 Iraqis have died in about 130 suicide attacks. It has been a sustained terror assault that has steadily grown in intensity and has no precedent in Israel, Beirut or elsewhere.

Indeed, the bombings have become so constant and so commonplace that only those with exceptionally high death tolls are now reported in the international media."