Pre-election violence gets even more gruesome

A BBC News article today, citing security "officials", reported that "unknown gunmen" in Iraq have shot dead a Shiite Muslim family of eight early on Monday, and "beheaded some of the bodies", amid a wave of "pre-election violence." The family was living in a majority Sunni area just outside Baghdad.

The report stated that "Iraq is preparing for elections on 7 March and there are fears sectarian violence could escalate further." It went on to state: "The US - which still has about 100,000 troops in Iraq - fear that if the election lacks credibility among Sunni voters, the country could slide back into sectarian violence."

Jeremiah foretold of violence and turmoil in Babylon: "The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed, and her high gates will be set on fire; so the peoples will toil for nothing, and the nations become exhausted (because of the) fire" (Jer 51:58). And so because of the fire, it will be said, "We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; forsake her and let us each go to his own country, for her judgment has reached to heaven" (Jer 51:9).

Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, "I shall set fire to (Babylon's) cities, and it will devour all (the) environs" (Jer 50:32). As noted in the BBC report, the US is preparing to withdraw large numbers of troops by the middle of this year. Will it be a withdrawal in success at reconstruction, as predicted by VP Joe Biden, or will it be a withdrawal out of exhaustion for the fire, and the failure of reconstruction?

The timetable for withdrawal is set, and so we don't have long to find out. Will the cities burn on March 7th?