Decade on, Iraq grappling with attacks and deadlock

Iraq Wednesday marked 10 years since a US-led invasion that sought to establish a stable, democratic ally, grappling with continuing violence which left another 52 people dead in the bloodiest day in over six months, and a worsening political situation. The event was met with little fanfare in Baghdad, though, a day after a wave of fatal bombings and gun attacks as some ministers began a cabinet boycott and officials delayed provincial polls. In Washington, US President Barack Obama released a muted statement that paid tribute to the "sacrifice" of his nation's troops, but had few words for the Iraqi people, promising instead to support wounded American veterans of the conflict. Iraqi officials have not announced any ceremonies to mark the anniversary on Wednesday, with events more likely to be held on April 9, the day Baghdad fell. Violence has spiked ahead of the anniversary, with 116 people killed in the past week, according to an AFP tally based on reports from security and medical officials, with the worst of the violence striking on Tuesday. In all, at least 20 explosions and multiple shootings left 52 people dead and more than 170 wounded, Iraq's deadliest day in six months, reflecting the brutal unrest that continues to plague the country. Launched a decade ago with the stated goal of wiping out Saddam's stores of weapons of mass destruction, which were never found, the focus of the divisive war quickly shifted to solidifying Iraq as a Western ally in an unstable region. Though the war itself was relatively brief -- it began on March 20, 2003, Baghdad fell weeks later, and then-US president George W. Bush infamously declared the mission accomplished on May 1 -- its aftermath was violent and bloody. Separate reports by Britain-based Iraq Body Count and researchers at The Lancet put the overall death toll from the decade of bloodshed at more than 112,000 civilians. The fatalities peaked in 2006 and 2007, when thousands were being killed on a monthly basis, with the violence only being brought under some semblance of control from 2008 onwards, as the American troop "surge" coincided with Sunni tribal militias deciding to side with US forces. But political reconciliation, the strategic goal of the surge, was never fully achieved. From territorial disputes in the north to questions over the apportioning of the country's vast energy revenues, a number of high-level problems remain unresolved, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has locked horns with his erstwhile government partners essentially non-stop for months. On Tuesday, powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr suspended his bloc's participation in sessions of Iraq's national unity cabinet in response to Maliki challenging parliamentary decisions in court. It means five ministers loyal to the Sadrist movement will not participate in weekly cabinet meetings until further notice. Authorities, meanwhile, announced provincial polls scheduled for April 20, Iraq's first vote in three years, would be delayed in Anbar and Nineveh provinces, citing security concerns including threats to the lives of candidates.