First, the good news. Iraqi officials finally settled on a date for the country's second parliamentary election since Saddam Hussein was deposed in 2003, breaking a deadlock caused by months of sectarian disputes. But two days later, a series of car bombs in Baghdad killed at least 127 people and wounded more than 400. Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed al-Qaeda for the attacks, accusing the Sunni militant organization of attempting to "create chaos in the country."
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