Just another day in the life and death of Iraq V

It's all just fun and games in the new Iraq:

Iraq's prime minister on Tuesday vowed to impose a strict new law-and-order plan to stem rising violence in Baghdad even as the Interior Ministry investigated whether Iraqi police played a role in Monday's mass kidnapping.

The news came on a day when bombs, mortars and gunmen killed at least 11 people and wounded 26 in the Iraqi capital -- and nine heads were found along a highway in Hadid.

And of course there's Haditha. And so much else -- past, present, future. Not that the White House sees it that way. Here's how Creature put it yesterday: "The Bushies continue to believe that Iraq is an 'image' problem, not an actual problem. They believe that if only they could change the storyline, then the American people will fall into line. But this story has already ended poorly. There is no director's cut. There is no alternate ending. There is only chaos."

Chaos and death. In that, the new Iraq resembles the old. Saddam was a mass murderer and the blood continues to flow well after the demise of his tyranny.

The loss of life should never fail to sadden us.