Retaliation

The massive attacks today follow directly the US push yesterday which killed up to 100 insurgents. A direct retaliation in the war, brutal and aggressive.
Nick Childs has this interesting analysis-

The abduction of the governor of one of Iraq's most troubled provinces amid a major US offensive in the area goes, in a sense, to the heart of the struggle now being waged in the country.

The American military boasts that it has never lost a tactical military engagement in Iraq. Its problem is that such victories are only part - and not really the most important part - of the conflict it is currently engaged in.

It is the age-old issue for strong military powers facing insurgencies and guerrilla wars - they can win militarily but lose politically. Insurgents tend to respond in different, indirect ways.

In modern military jargon, it is called asymmetric warfare.

The more a massive spectacular attack like this can detract from the coverage the US gets, the more successful it is.