Two bombs targeting SCIRI leadership in Iraq

In the last two days, there have been two bombing attacks aimed at SCIRI's two top leaders.

Yesterday there was an attempt to get a car bomb into SCIRI leader Al Hakim's compound, and now today, there was a bombing attempt against SCIRI's political number two, Adel Abdul-Mahdi.

First guess would of course be Sunnis, but these actions would be strategic for anyone trying to undermine the Iraqi side of the current Baghdad security plan. If SCIRI/Badr were to "go hot" again, the whole "surge"/security plan is over almost immediately as is any hope of a political solution.

(Of course, there was also the US arrest of Al Hakim's son and heir by the US the other day at the Iranian border. I don't think it's connected, but it's another emasculation of SCIRI related to their ties to Iran.)

And, 73 year old Iraqi president Talabani appears to be recuperating from a heart problem in Jordan.

With all these politicians under pressure and Sadr blasting the security operation yesterday, the political situation is getting very treacherous.

Pay attention.

UPDATE: (Reuters) The Abdul-Mahdi bombing was close enough that the Iraqi vice president took light shrapnel wounds.

UPDATE: President Talabani has been placed in intensive care.

(Can you imagine the process and politics of replacing even one of these top government officials?)