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Iraq bombings take toll on Iraqi population

Despite months of assurances that the forces were on the wane, the guerrillas and terrorists battling the American-backed enterprise here appear to be growing more violent, more resilient and more sophisticated than ever. The terrorists are choosing their targets with greater precision, and executing and dramatizing their attacks with more sophistication than they have in the past.American commanders say the number of attacks against American and Iraqi forces has held steady over the last year, averaging about 65 a day.

A string of recent attacks, including the execution of moderate Sunni leaders and the kidnapping and killing of an Egyptian diplomat, has brought home for many Iraqis that the democratic process that has been unfolding since the Americans restored Iraqi sovereignty in June 2004 has not only failed to isolate the insurgents, it has become the target itself. After concentrating their efforts for two and a half years on driving out the more than 138,000 foreign troops, the terrorists appear to be shifting their focus to the political and sectarian polarization of the country - apparently hoping to ignite a civil war - and to the isolation of the Iraqi government from other countries.