After a lull of five years during which it seemed that Iraq might emerge from its civil war, the country has been drawn back into a nightmare of spiralling attacks on a widening range of targets. The past four months have been among the bloodiest since 2008; nearly 3,000 people have been killed and over 7,000 injured. The Islamic State of Iraq, the latest incarnation of al-Qaeda, appears to have broadened its scope from attacks on security forces and Shia mosques and markets to suicide-bombings of cafes and funeral gatherings. More such attacks are likely following the freeing of hundreds of extremists during twin prison-breaks on July 22nd.
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