FROM THE GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS DEPARTMENT: Things in Iraq could be worse — it could be like Pakistan:

KARACHI, May 23 (Reuters) – Rival Sunni Muslim groups traded heavy gunfire in Pakistan’s restive city of Karachi on Friday over control of a mosque, killing a teenage boy and wounding six people including two policemen, police said.

Dozens of armed militants belonging to one radical Islamic group attacked the mosque in northern Karachi in an attempt to seize it from their rivals, they said. . . .

Disputes between the rival Islamic groups over control of mosques are frequent in Karachi. Many mosque compounds house big residential quarters for clerics as well as seminaries and shops.

But at least Pakistan’s power isn’t out. Oh wait:

ISLAMABAD, May 20( ): Pakistan Peoples Party Tuesday condemned power breakdown in major areas of Karachi, a metropolis of Sindh and termed it failure of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation’s professional responsibilities. . . .

“The agony caused to the people of Karachi calls for the sacking of all those whose inefficiency, corruption and lack of sense of responsibility contributed to the repeated and unscheduled power breakdowns without prior notice or warning to the citizens,” he said.

The power breakdown caused water shortage leading to near riot situations in a number of localities as the KESC officials slept over the plight and misery of the people.

Not to minimize the problems in Iraq, but this adds some perspective.