As many of you here know, I have from the beginning asserted that the incompetence of GWB and his team were going to ruin Iraq. However something happened today which made me think that matters were worse than even I had considered. What happened is that today marked Iraq's first known female suicide bomber.

:01 p.m. September 28, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The woman slipped into the town, passing checkpoints where women are not searched. Then, donning a man's "dishdasha" – a traditional white robe – and kaffiya headscarf, she blended in with the men waiting in line to join the Iraqi army.

She then set off the explosives strapped to her body, killing six would be recruits and wounding 35 – and sparking worries over a potentially dangerous new insurgent tactic.

While news analysis has focused on the "security hole" the cultural implications of this event could be drastic. Past studies of female suicide bombing indicate that they require in general a much higher degree of provocation to incite them than men. Either extreme hopelessness and oppression, rape by military/police units, or the provocative death of husbands/male relatives/lovers are generally required to incite women to suicide bombing. This could be a one time event, but if it comes more often it will be a damning sign that our occupation of Iraq has turned septic and has produced grevious wounds in the hearts of Iraqis.