It seems that every other week we hear reports in the news that there’s been yet another bomb in Baghdad blowing up and killing innocent bystanders. Why? Who thinks that setting off a bomb in Baghdad’s markets and busy streets will achieve anything? And what can be done about it?

This writer is not one of those who blame the USA or President Bush for all the bombs in Baghdad. I knew an Iraqi woman (who had left the country and got residency elsewhere) who told us what life was really like under Saddam Hussein. She often wished out loud that someone would do something to remove him from power, and she knew that UN sanctions only hurt the common people not those in power. When the “shock and awe” campaign dropped bombs in Baghdad, once she knew her family was safe, she was happy, as were many others throughout Iraq.

The most obvious suspects for those behind a bomb in Baghdad are those who weren’t happy at Saddam’s downfall. The Return Party, made of those who formerly held power under Saddam, is the most active group. Wishing to return to power via a bomb in Baghdad rather than a ballot in the box, the Return Party seeks to create havoc and re-take power. Also, the Fedayeen, a group that used to be one of Saddam’s irregular militias, is still active and work to punish those who have dared to dethrone and execute their leader.

But not every bomb in Baghdad has been set and detonated by the Return Party or Fedayeen. Other groups are working to disrupt the process of establishing Iraq as a democratic country. As you would suspect, the rabidly anti-American (and, indeed anti-Western) group Al-Qaeda is responsible for more than one bomb in Baghdad. These car bombs and other attacks were redoubled after strategic strikes killed the Jordanian-born leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Some say that the new leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq is an Egyptian-born explosives expert. If this is the case, then bombs in Baghdad and other major centres are, unfortunately, likely to become more frequent.

But Al-Qaeda isn’t the only Islamic militant group. Others see jihad as their divinely-appointed duty and consider detonating a bomb in Baghdad (and elsewhere) as an act of piety and devotion. A group called Muhammad’s Army, which is made up of Saddam’s former secret service and security staff, is active and works with the Return Party. A bomb in Baghdad may also have been set off by Muntada al-Wilaya, a group of Shiite extremists with links to Hezbollah; Ansar al-Islam, a Sunni group with Al-Qaeda links; or rogue groups from outside Iraq.

What can be done to prevent another bomb in Baghdad from hurting and killing normal, everyday people going about their daily lives? The US military is working with the Iraqi government to achieve this. Measures such as vehicle curfews have been in place for some time now, and recently, trenches have been dug around Baghdad to prevent explosive-laden vehicles from entering the city and being turned into bombs.

There’s no short answer to finding peace in Iraq. There’s no guarantee that another bomb in Baghdad won’t kill children tomorrow. But men and women are working to prevent it happening, and we need to hope and pray that they’ll be successful.