Sunday, Bloody Sunday

At least 42 57 people have died today, making Easter Sunday one of the most violent days in Iraq in several months.

The warlike tenor of the day was set early, when Katyusha rockets started raining down on the heavily fortified Green Zone. No one was killed, but still in all, it's a rude awakening on a Sunday morning. A second barrage was volleyed about four hours later. Personnel were warned to "duck and cover" and stay away from windows as mortars and rockets were lobbed toward the international zone throughout the day. At least five people were killed by Katyushas that fell short of the Green Zone.

In the Shiite city of Hillah, an American base was barraged by mortar fire, but American forces did not respond to a request for comment about the attack. Although there was no comment, there were also no reports of injuries or deaths.

Iraqi soldiers in Mosul were not so lucky, and did not escape unscathed. A suicide bomber penetrated the security perimeter of an Iraqi army base in a tanker truck and detonated himself in a courtyard. The blast killed thirteen and injured forty-two more. Iraqi and U.S. forces have been engaged in operations in Mosul to root out what U.S. commanders are calling al Qaeda's last urban stronghold in Iraq.

Elsewhere in the north, a roadside bomb killed five Iraqi soldiers in Kirkuk, which has seen growing unrest and sectarian strife in recent weeks.

Back in Baghdad, at least seven shoppers were killed when gunmen traveling in three cars opened fire on a marketplace in the Zaafariniya neighborhood. At least sixteen more people were wounded. The gunmen fled the scene, they were neither killed nor captured.

Elsewhere, in the Shula district of Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed five people lined up to purchase gasoline.

In Samara, a suicide bomber plowed into the home of a tribal leader and killed three people.

Yet on every single Sunday chat-show, there was some damned republican jackass or another telling us how it was all going swimmingly, the Surge™ has been a spectacular success, and we have victory in our crosshairs.

Ah well, I guess it's okay on balance, since lying was one of the sins their Jesus died on the cross that they might be forgiven for. Right?