What is up with delusional leaders these days? Iraq continues to be more dangerous than Washington DC as 100 people are killed in three days in Baghdad. They New York times reporting strains credulity.

First:

...Wisam Jabir Abdullah, an Iraqi diplomat posted in Iran who was on vacation in Baghdad, was kidnapped from his home by gunmen, the Interior Ministry official said.

This is crazy, who vactions in Baghdad? Most people leave Baghdad whenever possible for vacation they don't vacation in Baghdad. Say he returned to see his family, but vacation?

Then:

The worsening security crisis in Baghdad and several neighboring provinces, which many Iraqis are saying feels like a low-grade civil war, prompted lawmakers on Tuesday to summon the interior and defense ministers to address Parliament on Thursday, according to Jalal Adin al-Sagheer, a senior official in the country's largest Shiite political bloc.

Look at this idiotic language. It "feels like" a "low-grade" civil war. As if they did polling on the streets and some guy named Mohammed says, "today feels like maybe 100 degree civil war, when it hit 103 that's when we go to hospital." Yeah, right, "low-grade" with 100 people killed in three days in what the article describes as "violence that included a double suicide bombing near busy entrances to the fortified Green Zone, scattered shootings, mortar attacks, a series of car bombs and the ambush of a bus with Shiite mourners returning from a burial." Hmm. Anyone lived through the civil war in El Salvador or Bosnia want to comment? Does this sound like a civil war to you guys? I'm not an expert, but it sounds like this meets several definitions of civil war.

Then the politicians unleash the stupid:

"I don't see the country falling into a civil war despite the regrettable activities of certain people who ignore that Iraq is united," the prime minister said, according to Agence France-Presse. "The security services are still in control of the situation."

He added, "We have the capacity, if necessary, to impose order and suppress those who rebel against the state."

Yeah, Iraq is united and the people killing eachother just forgot to check their day calenders. Oh, and they'd put a stop to it, really they would, they're just waiting for 150 people to get killed in three days, 100 doesn't break the threshold for action.

I really hope they succeed in the end, but I'm sick of this miserable news. I was amazed by the NYT's coverage of Mamoon Sami Rashid, the Anbar provincial governor who has survived 29 attempts on his life. Holy crap! Now that kind of tenacity gives you hope, but news stories like this, and the seemingly delusional state of our world leaders is disheartening.