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Deadliest attack of the year in Iraq war

Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

WASHINGTON (NBC) - A pair of suicide car bombings Sunday morning in Iraq left more than 130 dead and more than 500 wounded.

The attacks happened within minutes of each other in an area of Baghdad near two major government buildings, and just outside the heavily fortified Green Zone occupied by Americans.

It's a bloody reminder that Iraq's security is still fragile, even as U.S. troops are winding down the war.

Cell phone video captured the second of two deadly bombings that rocked Baghdad Sunday morning.

It was the deadliest attack of the year, targeting an area that was supposed to be among Iraq's most secure, and with elections approaching in January, it's not only a menacing message to the Iraqi people, it's a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki who's staked his reputation on Iraq's security.

President Obama called to offer support.

He declared the attacks outrageous, and said "these attempts to derail Iraq's progress are no match for the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people."

It's also a test for the U.S. Military, which is preparing to wind down the war.

Senator John McCain said this latest violence wasn't unexpected.

"But it's not going to require any delay in withdrawal of U.S. troops," McCain said.

The U.S. Military is already shifting its focus to the war in Afghanistan where the government is up for grabs in a presidential runoff less than two weeks away.

President Obama is taking his time on a critical decision: whether to send tens of thousands of additional troops into Afghanistan.

"President Bush took three months in considering whether or not to surge troops in Iraq," Michigan Senator Carl Levin (d) said.

Now from Iraq comes a bloody reality check: that one American war isn't finished, even as another might be getting a lot bigger.

But in the short-term in Afghanistan, ensuring violence-free elections is job number one.