Monday, July 18, 2005

The violence pandemic is already here

On July 7 more than 50 people died in suicide bombings in London's transport system. A week later, London and much of the world paused for 2 minutes of solemn silence.

Saturday 60 people died near Baghdad in another suicide bombing that touched off an explosion in a propane tanker. The blast occurred in Babil province in an area near the capital called the Triangle of Death. Nor was this catastrophe the day's only violence in Iraq:
In a village near the northern city of Mosul, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside an Iraqi police station, killing six police officers and wounding 16 other people, police and the U.S. military said.

In the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, a suicide car bomb targeting a police commando convoy killed a police commando, a civilian and two children, police told CNN.

Also wounded were 11 people, police said.

The attacks come a day after insurgents launched seven deadly car bomb attacks across the capital. (CNN)
No doubt the world will also commemorate these events a week later, too. With 24 hours of silence. Attention will by then be on the ensuing days of continued violence.

This is not a numbers game, where the people killed in London is compared to those killed daily in Iraq. It is instead a reminder that when violence is met by counter-violence the only result will be still more violence: more Londons, more Baghdads, more World Trade Centers.

Iraq, Madrid, London, New York City, Afghanistan, Pakistan. A pandemic of violence.

"When will they ever learn?"