Iraq bombing

Another car bomb in Baghdad has dimmed any hope for Iraq’s future. At least 52 people were killed in a car bomb that exploded in southern Baghdad on Thursday. The attack was the third to hit the Iraqi capital in three days, a reminder of the strong terrorist threat in the country. Despite the recent victories of Iraqi troops in Mosul, the Baghdad car bomb is a reminder that the Islamic State (IS) retains a strong capacity to wreak terror in the region. Much like Pakistan, the Iraqi government had been claiming a victory against terrorism in the country. However, despite ceding territory in northern and western Iraq, IS retains a capacity to hit where it hurts most. Images of charred bodies have become a routine for Iraqi citizens who have now suffered the same fate for a decade and a half.

Most analysts believe that the decision by the Iraqi army to retake Mosul may have spread IS members across the country to retreat back to fighting through terrorist attacks, rather than on the street. Dislodging IS from major Iraqi cities was always likely to have a backlash, but there is no alternative available to the Iraqi government. The battle for Mosul has also ended up showing that any fears that the civil war had led to a loss of hearts and minds for the Iraqi government in the city were largely untrue. However, while the Iraqi army has been welcomed in Mosul, the country remains divided on sectarian grounds. A Human Rights Watch report alleging that anti-IS militias and security forces in the country have been committing human rights abuses, including the demolition of hundreds of homes in villages outside Mosul, will not lead to much confidence among the people either. As the IS-controlled area in Iraq shifts, the need to win the trust of the country’s people will be essential. It is impossible to see how demolishing houses is anything but an example of what is tearing the country apart. For those looking for peace any time soon, hope must be stemmed by reality. There seems to be no end to the turmoil in Iraq. Taking back IS-controlled territories will only be the first step towards fighting an enemy that knows how to hide and strike at back.