Massive Violence Rocks Iraq Just Days after Obama’s Political Pullout of U.S. Combat Forces; At Least 63 Dead, Hundreds Wounded – Video 12/22/11

It looks like Iraq is already beginning to unravel in the wake of President Obama’s decision to abruptly withdraw all U.S. Combat Forces from the country so he could trumpet he got all the troops out by Christmas.

A wave of deadly attacks took place today across Baghdad, killing at least 63 people, and wounding 185 more. The bombings appear to have been planned to coincide with the pullout of all U.S. Combat Forces:

NEW YORK TIMES: A series of explosions ripped through Iraq’s capital on Thursday, an ominous turn for a country reeling from a deepening political and sectarian crisis that erupted after the departure of the United States military. It was Baghdad’s deadliest day in more than a year.

The attacks began at 6:30 a.m. and transformed the morning commute into a bloodbath. Car bombs and improvised explosives destroyed schools, markets and apartments. An ambulance packed with explosives incinerated a government office. At least 63 people were killed and 185 wounded.

On Thursday night, four more blasts shook Baghdad, killing three more people.

There were fears that the precipitous withdrawal of American troops might lead to instability in Iraq, but the speed with which conditions have deteriorated has alarmed Western officials. Until Thursday, however, the bitter fighting between Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite, and his foes in Parliament had not been accompanied by a rise in violence. . . . Read More