'The Civil War In Iraq Has Already Begun': Politician Claims Conflict Has Started And Warns It Will Be ‘Worse Than Syria’ -- The Independent
Iraqi leaders fear that the country is sliding rapidly into a new civil war which “will be worse than Syria”. Baghdad residents are stocking up on rice, vegetables and other foodstuffs in case they are prevented from getting to the shops by fighting or curfews. “It is wrong to say we are getting close to a civil war,” said a senior Iraqi politician. “The civil war has already started.”
This is borne out by the sharp rise in the number of people killed in political violence in Iraq in April, with the UN claiming more than 700 people were killed last month, the highest monthly total for five years.
The situation has suddenly deteriorated since the killing of at least 36 Sunni Arab protesters at a sit-in in Hawijah on 23 April. An observer in Baghdad, who did not want to be named, said “ever since, Hawijah people are frightened of a return to the massacres of 2006”. She added that Sunni and Shia were avoiding going into each others’ areas. Signs of deteriorating security are everywhere.
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More News On The Unrest And Violence In Iraq
Sunni unrest revives fears of sectarian war in Iraq -- Reuters
UN records spike in Iraq violence -- Al Jazeera
April Iraq's Deadliest Month In Five Years: UN -- RTT
April deadliest month in Iraq since June 2008: U.N. -- New York Daily News/Reuters
U.N.: April was deadliest month in Iraq in nearly 5 years -- L.A. Times
April the deadliest month in Iraq in 5 years -- CNN
Iraq in turmoil two car bombs killed 27 people -- Guardian Express
At least 18 killed, 36 wounded in attacks in Iraq -- Xinhuanet
Clashes kill nine police in north Iraq -- AFP
Bomb outside Sunni mosque kills six in Iraqi capital -- Reuters
Iraq: Prospects of partition as violence takes its toll -- BBC
Iraq on the brink, again -- Ryan Crocker, Washington Post