Bombs put Kirkuk in line as next hotbed

The oil-rich northern region of Iraq has enjoyed comparative calm since the toppling of Saddam’s Hussein’s government. But Kirkuk province, which had been viewed by many as a model for the rest of the country, may be turning into the next hotbed of sectarian slaughter.

Three bombings, including an enormous suicide truck blast, killed more than 80 people Monday in the city of Kirkuk, the deadliest attacks yet in an area of rising ethic tensions among Arabs, Turkomans and Kurds.

SFGate