Bomb In Karbala Kills 3 Wounds 12 Car

Bomb in Karbala kills 3, wounds 12

A car bomb exploded in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Monday not far from the sacred shrine of Imam Husayn, the martyred grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. It killed 3 persons and injured 12, all passers-by.

One report said the bomb went off near a hostel used by Iranian pilgrims, but it is hard for me to think of anyone but Baathists who would have a motive for trying to kill them. Many people in Karbala depend directly or indirectly on the pilgrim trade for their income.

Karbala has been shaken in recent weeks by internecine fighting among Shiite factions seeking to control the shrine. But the car bomb does not obviously serve either side in that cause, and is more likely intended to hurt the popularity of the US and the Coalition forces, who will be blamed by the Shiites in Karbala and throughout the world for failing to provide sufficient security to the shrine city.