End violence in Iraq

It is not enough to feel pity after a wave of deadly attacks hit a dozen Iraqi cities and towns on Monday, killing at least 47 people and leaving more than 110 wounded. More should be done to dig into the root cause of the Iraqi people's plight today, and prevent the violent reality in Iraq from repeating itself elsewhere.

Monday's heavy casualties were the result of high tensions between Iraq's central government and the Kurdish minority over contested areas and of violence between the country's Sunni and Shiite Muslims. The tragedy is a miniature of the Middle East country's everyday life.

In fact, since the US withdrawal on Dec 18, 2011, hardly a day has passed in Iraq without clashes and bloodshed. Despite the promises by US officials of self-governance, peace and stability, the country has been mired deeper in political crisis, ethnic violence and sectarian rifts.