CNN.com reports that there was another outbreak of messy freedom and democracy in Iraq today.

A suicide bombing at a Shiite Muslim funeral procession killed at least 47 people Thursday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, hospital officials said.

The explosion also wounded at least 81 others.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the Iraqi police had a tough day as well.

Col. Hamad Ubeyis, chief of central Baghdad's al-Salihiya police station, was killed when gunmen opened fire on his marked police car. Two officers with Ubeyis were injured.

Col. Aiyad Abdul Razaq, chief deputy of Jisrdiala police station, was gunned down in southeastern Baghdad while driving to work.

Gen. Adbul Karim Raheem, a police official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry, was critically wounded in an attack on his car, also in southeast Baghdad.

So it appears that the insurgents aren't limited to killing police recruits standing around waiting for their physicals. But hey, that democracy and freedom stuff can be messy. One day the Iraqis will look back fondly on these days as the founding moments of their new liberal democracy.
posted by Idle Crank at 3/10/2005 05:14:00 PM