It is almost a decade since the last war in Iraq, and more than a year since the formal withdrawal of US troops in 2011. Relative stability has returned, but is threatened by ongoing violence and political turmoil. Bloody attacks continue to disrupt daily life: independent monitor Iraq Body Count documented 4,471 civilian deaths from violence in 2012,much lower than the 29,000 killed in 2006, but higher than in 2011.
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