A Mother's Nightmare in Iraq

Ellen Knickmeyer pens an absolutely chilling tale in today's Washington Post titled "An Iraqi Mother's Most Dreaded Mission: Search for Missing Son in Baghdad Only Adds to Loss and Uncertainty." Riyah Obeid, 27, goes to replace a lost ID card, which sets in motion of series of horrible events. Honestly, it reminds me the most of accounts of Nazi Germany or the Rwandan genocide. Given the situation, it's astounding any good reporting can be done in Iraq. The Shia-Sunni conflict is plainly deadly not only for high profile figures but ordinary Iraqis. As the article captures one family's growing tragedy, without chance of justice from an indifferent or hostile system, it also clearly shows their situation is frighteningly common.