Long and bloody road ahead in Iraq for U.S.

Scores are dead and hundreds injured after twenty bombings and shootings occurred across Iraq on Monday. At present, the toll is 75 dead and more than 250 wounded. Most attacks targeted civilians.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki issued a statement, "Once again, murderers and criminals have carried out attacks against innocent civilians to add a new page to their black criminal record." He called on security forces to pursue and, "finish" the attackers.

The attacks are the worst to strike the country in months taking place during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. This is not the first time such attacks have occurred. Maj. Angela Funaro, spokeswoman for United States Forces in Iraq said, "Today's attacks are eerily similar to the stream of large-scale, complex attacks that occurred here last year during Ramadan on August 25."

While the terrorists behind the attacks are still unknown, they are suspected to be al-Qaeda in Iraq, which has been working to undermine confidence in the country's democratic government. Al Qaeda in Iraq was responsible for last year's Ramadan attacks.

Wary of such attacks, Iraqi government officials have requested that US troops stay beyond a January 1st deadline to withdraw. Although the US has withdrawn all its combat troops from Iraq, a substantial force of almost 50,000 troops remains in the country providing support and training to Iraqi security forces. It is widely anticipated that the US will honor the request to some degree although the Obama administration has not yet spoken publicly on the issue.
 
Staying will have consequences

Muqtada al-Sadr, the Iraqi Shiite cleric who is wholly opposed to US presence in Iraq warned that his militias may clash with Americans if they should stay on in Iraq. Al-Sadr commands a militia that has clashed with Iraqi security forces before and engaged in sectarian violence.
 
For now, government officials have encouraged the security forces to step up their efforts to hunt down terrorists and to enforce parking band in places where bombings may yet occur. The Iraqi government remains defiant and undeterred in the face of the attacks. In any case, it is clear that the US and Iraq together have a long, bloody road ahead.

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