Terror in Iraq

Fuck:

Panic engulfed thousands of Shiites marching across a bridge in a religious procession Wednesday after rumors spread that a suicide bomber was about to attack, triggering a stampede that killed at least 695 people.

Scores of pilgrims jumped or were pushed to their deaths into the muddy Tigris River about 30 feet below, but many also were crushed in the crowd, which had jammed up at a security checkpoint on the western side of the Azamiyah bridge. Most of the dead were women and children, Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Adnan Abdul-Rahman said.

It was the single biggest confirmed loss of life in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

Tensions already had been running high in the procession in Baghdad's heavily Shiite Kazimiyah district because of a mortar attack two hours earlier against a shrine where the marchers were heading. The shrine was about a mile from the bridge.

Health Ministry spokesman Qassim Yahya said 695 were killed and 180 were injured. Figures from other official sources varied because survivors were rushed in ambulances and private cars to many hospitals, and officials were scrambling to compile accurate casualty figures.

Apparently one of the railings collapsed in the furor. I really hope the number of victims isn’t as high as feared.

I also hope this puts to bed once and for all the urge to suggest we’re fighting terrorists there so we don’t have to fight them here. It’s really just so heartless a suggestion, and this is exactly why.