Iraqis flea their homes in search of security

According to the New York Times, the number of Iraqis who have fled their homes and registered as refugees is growing rapidly, reaching a quarter of a million in just the past seven months. Iraqis are seeking to escape the escalating level of sectarian violence, which has peaked in the last two weeks, in accordance with the observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Sectarian death squads have ravaged Baghdad as US forces scramble to reduce the number of killings by targeting neighborhoods. The killers, however, seem to simply move into other neighborhoods, and US military efforts, however, have achieved little to suppress violence throughout the city as a whole. According to a US military official, speaking under the condition of anonymity, death squads use list of targets, sanctioned by religious leaders, to carry out mass kidnappings, torture, and murder.

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