The Reconstruction Effort continues to flourish:

[Mobius]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20040201/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
Suicide Bombers Kill at Least 56 in Iraq
IRBIL, Iraq - Two suicide bombers with explosives wired to their bodies struck the offices of the country's two main Kurdish parties in nearly simultaneous attacks Sunday, killing at least 56 people and wounding more than 235 in the deadliest assault in Iraq (news <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=%22Iraq%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw> - web sites <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?cs=nw&p=Iraq>) in six months.
SNIP



The deaths raised to 524 the number of U.S. service members who have died since the Iraq conflict began in March.
The Irbil attackers slipped into the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan along with hundreds of well-wishers gathering for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice.
SNIP

No matter who was behind them, the blasts may heighten tensions between the Kurds and Sunni Arabs. As U.S. and Iraqi leaders try to map out the country's new form of government, some Arabs have sharply opposed Kurdish demands to retain or even expand their self-rule region in the north.

Hours after the attack, a mangled head believed to be that of one bomber lay on the floor of the KDP office. Blood and bits of flesh were spattered on the walls and ceilings. The attack on the PUK office, about eight miles away, took place at about the same time.
The U.S. command in Baghdad put the casualty toll at 56 dead and more than 200 injured. Irbil city morgue director Tawana Kareem told the AP that 57 bodies were brought to the morgue and "figures are increasing." At least 235 people were admitted to the city's three hospitals with injuries, hospital officials said.

So what do you make of this? It would seem Iraq is not much better off. It also seems there is great destabilization in the region , with many terrorist groups including AlQuaida running rampant. It will be interesting the see the spin the Rove playbook tries to put on this.

[JohnyCanuck]

1. We already know the spin

The more attacks and deaths they are, the more it shows the desperation of the Saddam sympathizing evil-doers, so it means the occupy....um, excuse me, liberators are closer than ever to success.

[salinen]

2. The ole reverse Midas touch.