Editorial: The Jihad District Incident

The incident in Jihad district shows the danger of random killings that may lead to another massacre unless the government controls the weapons used by groups other than security forces. The killings serve as warnings that the civil war might occur at any time if the government does not take immediate active action to control and contain the situation. The incident last week (in which Shia militiamen executed dozens of Sunnis) violated security and should force the government to revise their procedures. They should declare a state of emergency and have the military constantly patrol to check for those illegally carry weapons. The Jihad incident is an attempt to sabotage the (government's) national reconciliation plan. Those who carried out the massacre are not Iraqis at all; they only want to inflame the sectarian conflict and increase the crises in Iraq. Political parties, civil society organizations, Shia Marjaiyas and Sunnis should help contain the conflict. As for the government, it should use all possible means to stop the further deterioration of the security situation and to stop the bloodshed of innocent people.