Iraq latenight

(AFP) "At least six bombs exploded around Baghdad as the death toll from a brutal civil conflict continued to rise steeply and a top UN official warned that Iraq is spiralling out of control."

And, the Washington Post is reporting that the Federalism legislation passed by 4 votes 141-0 in a 275 member parliament after a mass walkout. After an earlier agreement with the Sunnis, there is an 18 month delay on this legislation that would allow the breakup of Iraq.

But opponents of the bill -- including not only Sunni Arabs but secular parties and the bloc of anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr -- expressed fears that the federalism plan could increase sectarian tensions and push the country further toward civil war.

"This is the beginning of the plan to divide Iraq," said Adnan al-Dulaimi.