On Iraq’s bloodiest day this year, a man strapped with explosives blew himself up in a crowd, bombers struck a southern city, and gunmen sprayed security checkpoints with bullets—killing at least 100 people in all. Iraqi officials were quick to blame al Qaeda insurgents looking to destabilize the country, while control of the government remains uncertain following the country’s March 7 election. Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi stressed the importance of quickly creating a central government that includes all major political groups to stabilize the country, as Iraq’s main political factions continue to struggle to find common ground for a ruling coalition.