Heartbreaking. Soulcrushing. You name it.

[Spence]

Twenty-seven people, many of them children, were killed by a suicide truck bomb today as the children gathered around an Army vehicle where troops were handing out chocolates and other gifts. The blast was so powerful it set a nearby house on fire.

The attack, which killed an American soldier and wounded three others, occurred about 10:50 a.m. in east Baghdad, according to the United States military. As service members in a Humvee were giving presents to a group of children, a vehicle filled with explosives detonated.

"There were some American troops blocking the highway when a U.S. Humvee came near a gathering of children, and U.S. soldiers began to hand them candies," a man named Karim Shukir told The Associated Press. "Then suddenly, a speeding car showed up and struck both the Humvee and the children."

After the bombing, The A.P. reported that charred remains of an engine block wrapped in barbed wire sat in the road and a smashed child's bicycle lay beside the street, which was splattered with pools of blood.And this isn't even the first time something like this has happened.
Last September, 35 Iraqi children who had gathered around United States soldiers who were handing out candy at the opening of a sewage plant in Baghdad died after suicide bombers drove their cars into the crowd that had gathered for the ceremony.

Source (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/international/13cnd-iraq.html?ei=5094&en=c3e52336e69e571a&hp=&ex=1121313600&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print)

[SkinsKY]

I wish I had words to describe how I felt about such events.

[Agrawog]

My mind understands the amoral point of the specific type of attack.

My heart cracks at the sheer hopelesness and despair the parents and relatives must feel (for the kids and the soldiers).

My soul weeps at the sheer stupidity of all war.

Damn, I can't even get up enough anger to wail at Bush. You know this is a total hope crushing event.

[flave1969]

Whatever you believe, whatever your political point of view, we all must start to agree that what the Allied forces are failing to make Iraq safe. We have got to come up with new ideas, new ways of executing this conflict, because it is not working right now. Dozens of people, Soldier and Civilian are dying on a weekly basis. It simply cannot go on at this rate. There seems no collective will to rethink and words just grow more and more hollow each day. Leaving aside whether you feel this is a justified part of the War on Terror or not, we surely must all agree that the loss of human life is a growing tragedy that simply cannot be tolerated.

[LATrueRedskin]

I'll never understand how purley screwed up some people can be.

[Ibleedburgundy]

Stuff like this makes me think there is no god.

[NamVet4]

The US military knows how to fight the insurgents and terrorists on their home ground. What we need is for the administration and the politicains to let the miiltary do its job.
This loss of life, both civilian and military is as unacceptable now as it was the very first time! It is a true crime that the fanatics can inflict this type of damage without fear of retribution!
But this is an old song that has been sung for over 35 years.... the politicans didn't understand the melody and lyrics then, and I doubt they will understand now. ~ sigh~ pathetic.

[The Skinsinator]

It is truly a shame hearing news like this. Reading the story is difficult to digest, to say the least. My condolences to all the victims families from this and all the victims from the whole Iraq affair.

[BurgundyNGold]

Stuff like this makes me think there is no god.
But the televised beheadings didn't? It's all so senseless over there.

[BurgundyNGold]

The US military knows how to fight the insurgents and terrorists on their home ground. What we need is for the administration and the politicains to let the miiltary do its job.
This loss of life, both civilian and military is as unacceptable now as it was the very first time! It is a true crime that the fanatics can inflict this type of damage without fear of retribution!
But this is an old song that has been sung for over 35 years.... the politicans didn't understand the melody and lyrics then, and I doubt they will understand now. ~ sigh~ pathetic.
Seems to me that this hits the nail on the head.

[GibbsRules!]

The US military knows how to fight the insurgents and terrorists on their home ground. What we need is for the administration and the politicains to let the miiltary do its job.
This loss of life, both civilian and military is as unacceptable now as it was the very first time! It is a true crime that the fanatics can inflict this type of damage without fear of retribution!
But this is an old song that has been sung for over 35 years.... the politicans didn't understand the melody and lyrics then, and I doubt they will understand now. ~ sigh~ pathetic.

Excellent point NamVet! And to think...some of those who carried out this despicable act against humanity just might have been considered collateral damage had our military not been handcuffed...

I really feel for those soldiers on foot patrol out in that abyss...I pray for them and the innocent children as well.

[Ibleedburgundy]

But the televised beheadings didn't? It's all so senseless over there.

I didn't say that. I said "stuff like this" and beheadings certainly count as "stuff like this."

[Patrick]

The US military knows how to fight the insurgents and terrorists on their home ground. What we need is for the administration and the politicains to let the miiltary do its job.
This loss of life, both civilian and military is as unacceptable now as it was the very first time! It is a true crime that the fanatics can inflict this type of damage without fear of retribution!
But this is an old song that has been sung for over 35 years.... the politicans didn't understand the melody and lyrics then, and I doubt they will understand now. ~ sigh~ pathetic.

OH HOW TURE my friend. But then again (and like 35 years ago) - to let the military force do what they do best - that too would be looked down upon in a negitive light. Simply a no win situation again!