Seriously, since — as most assume — all religions are equally capable of inciting their adherents to violence, why don’t we see real headlines like the one above? Baptists targeting Methodists, Presbyterians bloodily retaliating for the last Episcopalian attack — you get the idea. “43 Held after Bombs Found at Sunni Leader’s Office,” from AFP (thanks to all who sent this in):
BAGHDAD (AFP) – Authorities arrested more people on Friday after car bombs were found near the offices of Iraqi politician Adnan al-Dulaimi but did not say whether they thought he was the target or intended to use them himself.
Dulaimi, who told AFP he may have been targeted, said US and Iraqi troops held 43 people in raids on his Baghdad office and home after discovering two primed car bombs nearby.
“Early in the morning US and Iraqi troops came to my home and arrested 30 people, including my son Mekki,” Dulaimi said.
He said troops had detained 13 people in a Thursday evening raid.
At the time, the Iraqi military Thursday announced the discovery of two vehicles packed with explosives at the premises in Baghdad’s Hail Adel neighbourhood.
“Two car bombs, primed to explode, were found inside the office compound,” Iraqi army spokesman Brigadier General Qasim Ata said on Thursday.
Troops destroyed the bombs in controlled explosions, causing heavy damage to Dulaimi’s office and several nearby houses.
“It’s a matter of regret that we found these car bombs at his office,” Ata added, without saying whether Dulaimi was the target or whether the vehicles were meant to be detonated elsewhere.
On Friday, Dulaimi dissociated himself from the vehicles, which he said were found “somewhere behind my office and not close to it.”
“There was no car bomb in or near my office,” he insisted.
“I want to tell the Iraqi government, the American and Iraqi forces to check the information correctly because this announcement will make problems for the political process.”
Indeed.