White House: Baghdad Attacks Strengthen Our Resolve to Support Iraq

Following one of the deadliest explosions in recent years in Iraq, the White House has emphasized that these attacks only strengthen its resolve to increase support for Iraqi security forces as they battle the 'Islamic State.' Ned Price, spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated in a statement, 'These attacks reinforce our determination to support Iraqi security forces as they work to reclaim areas occupied by ISIS. We are also intensifying efforts to destroy the ISIS terrorist network and its leaders.' Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi condemned the attacks, describing them as a 'painful tragedy' and announced three days of national mourning. In the suicide attacks in Baghdad on July 4, which were most severe in the Karada area, at least 125 people were killed. The Associated Press reports that the Karada attack is one of the worst in terms of violence and casualties in the last 13 years, since the U.S. operations, the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, and the ensuing conflicts in the country. The attack in the Karada market is the worst of its kind this year and, as a standalone attack, is one of the deadliest in the past 13 years. Reuters also states that the attack in the Karada market is the worst of its kind this year. When the Iraqi Prime Minister visited the bombing site, a group of mourners and protesters gathered around his convoy, throwing shoes and stones at it. Concerns and anger over the security situation in Iraq, especially in its capital, which continues to be the scene of suicide attacks and bombings, have increased. Meanwhile, as Iraqi security forces prepare to retake Mosul, one of the most important cities in the country from the self-proclaimed Islamic State, the political situation in Baghdad remains unstable. Previously, John Brennan, the head of the CIA, stated in a congressional meeting that Islamic State militants, having lost territory, are likely to resort to tactics such as bombings and widespread attacks outside those areas. The U.S. Department of Defense has deployed a group of special operations soldiers to cooperate with the Iraqi army to combat the personnel and leaders of the so-called 'Islamic State' in Iraq. In April, Washington also announced the preparation of more military personnel for missions in Iraq, primarily advisors. According to Reuters, not including special operations forces and soldiers who are periodically present in Iraq, the increase in advisors and U.S. military personnel brings their total to 4,087. In this context, the death toll from the explosion in the Karada area of Baghdad has risen to 115. The Pentagon reported that two senior ISIS commanders were killed in an airstrike in Mosul. Kuwait announced it has thwarted three attacks from the 'Islamic State.'