(April 23, 2010)
To the Editor:
The death counts and stories of suicide or roadside bombings are nothing new to the news coverage of the Middle-East. However, their affects are different depending on the groups carrying out the attacks, and the reactions of the people. In Baghdad, the bombs are causing a fissure between the people and their faith in the government. This is a dire circumstance. Exactly how dire this circumstance is was completely overlooked by your article. When people no longer feel that their government has any control in the situation, that is when they join militant groups such as Al Qaeda or the Taliban. Out of fear or anger or a desperation to do something about their current situation, these militant groups know that if they can offer a degree of protection in times of turmoil, they will gain followers. By the government indecision and apparent power of Al Qaeda, the area is looking at an increase in violence as the groups gain membership and thus power. The way to combat this surge in membership is to first attempt some sort of stabilization of the governing forces so that the people feel there is another body to watch out for them, and then to go after the militant groups. Going about it the other way around will only result in further fractioning of the already unstable, volitile government.
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