Alarm grows as Iraqi forces fail to stem violence
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Officials in Iraq are growing increasingly concerned over an unabated spike in violence that claimed at least another 33 lives on Thursday and is reviving fears of a return to widespread sectarian fighting.
Authorities announced plans to impose a sweeping ban on many cars across the Iraqi capital starting early Friday in an apparent effort to thwart car bombings, as the United Nations envoy to Iraq warned that "systemic violence is ready to explode." Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile, was shown on state television visiting security checkpoints around Baghdad. (AP)
