How to Stop Iraq from Slipping Away

After weeks of relative calm, the Islamic State of Iraq, a collection of terrorist groups that includes the notorious Al Qaeda of Mesopotamia, launched a coordinated suicide attack in the heart of Baghdad that left at least 155 dead and hundreds more wounded. The last major attack occurred in August, when 102 civilians died in a series of bombings that targeted key government ministries. In a show of strength, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had dismantled much of the dense warren of blast walls designed to blunt the damage caused by terrorist attacks, one reason why the August attack proved so deadly. Yet this week's attack occurred in a well-fortified part of the city, and the culprits had to pass through a series of checkpoints. This has raised deeper questions about the negligence of Iraq's army and police, if not the complicity of some officials. Though the Sunni terrorists behind the attacks represent a discredited political force, they may have succeeded in discrediting Iraq's national unity government.