Political/religious attack kills 80 in Iraq

This is troubling news on several levels. Not only was it a highly-coordinated and deadly attack, and not only are there the obvious religious issues, but this particular mosque-- according to the article-- had a strong link to the current government. It doesn't bode well for establishing a stable, functioning government.

Three suicide bombers on Friday struck a Baghdad mosque affiliated with a major Shiite political party, killing at least 74 people, according to the Iraqi Health Ministry.

Another 136 people were wounded, authorities said.

The attack occurred a day after a bomb killed 10 people and wounded a few dozen others near the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, the holy Shiite city in south-central Iraq.

Friday's blasts went off more than three hours after noon prayers at northern Baghdad's Buratha mosque, which is affiliated with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The group is a part of the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance, the coalition that won a plurality in the December 15 parliamentary elections.

The mosque's imam is Sheikh Jalaluddin al-Saghir, a member of parliament affiliated with the United Iraqi Alliance.