Yesterday witnessed one of the deadliest attacks since the war on Iraq began. Not surprisingly, it was ethnic minorities who were targeted, specifically a community of Yazidis, a sect of Kurdish speaking people, who are frequent targets for Muslim extremists.
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon claimed that it was “an act of ethnic cleansing, if you will, almost genocide.” As I’ve commented since the war began, the invasion will undoubtedly end in a genocidal frenzy regardless of whether US troops remain or withdraw.
It seems quite possible that we’re witnessing the first coordinated moves towards a more systematic policy of ethnic cleansing. Considering that the military is blaming al Qaeda for the attack, it seems clear that unlike previous bombings that are designed to disrupt and terrorize the population (and US military), this particular incident was designed to strike at a single minority group.