France condemns murderous attacks in Iraq

The French government on Monday condemned what it said were "murderous attacks" across Iraq these past two days in which over 100 people were killed and many others wounded. The attacks in Baghdad and several regional areas, including Kurdistan, were clearly intended to inflame community violence and provoke sectarian retaliation. Iraq has been undergoing a major surge in car bombings and murders in the past three months, reminiscent of the terrible 2006-2007 period when hundreds of thousands died, sometimes at a rate of 25,000 per month. France said on Monday that it supports the position of UN Special Representative Nicolai Mladenov who has called on "all Iraqi political and community parties to work together with the security forces to contain this cycle of violence." The Iraqi sectarian violence also coincides with growing instability and similar violence in Syria and tensions across the region.