"The consequences of sudden and violent death _ so commonplace in Iraq's relentless turmoil _ have spawned their own macabre subcultures: the human vultures, grave markers with serial numbers for unidentified victims, tattoo artists asked to etch IDs on people afraid of becoming an unclaimed body amid the carnage and killings.

It's more than just another grim tableau in a nation brimming with sad stories. It points to how deeply war and sectarian bloodshed have reordered the way Iraqis live _ and confront the constant possibility of death."

Labels: collusion, corruption, united states of hypocrisy, unlawful