The violence in Iraq is escalating....

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 7 — A car bomb exploded today outside the Jordanian Embassy here, killing 11 people and wounding at least 65, in the bloodiest day since the Bush administration declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq on May 1.

The bomb exploded at 11 a.m., as many Iraqis stood about the entrance waiting to apply for visas. The force of the explosion blew a 30-foot-wide hole in the wall that separates the embassy from the street, hurling bodies and shrapnel and debris hundreds of yards. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

In addition,

Unidentified militants detonated a bomb on an American Humvee shortly after the car bombing, opening a ferocious, two-hour gun battle in the heart of one of Baghdad's most prosperous neighborhoods. Three soldiers were wounded in the firefight, officials said, while witnesses said two soldiers in the vehicle had been wounded as well.

Late Wednesday, two American soldiers died when they drove into an ambush in central Baghdad, the Central Command said.

I have so much to say about this, and yet it seems so futile. I’ve said it before, as have many anti-war activists. Indeed, as have wise persons throughout history: Violence begets violence.

What scares me is that it’s just a matter of time until the car bombs and martyrs start exploding on U.S. soil as well.

Complete story here.