Behind the numbing regularity of Iraq's car bombs is the much quieter sound of a country slowly imploding. The targets these days are not usually the fortress-like ministries or security installations -- they are regular Iraqis. Last Friday, bombs exploded in a Sunni mosque near Samarra, killing at least 15 people. The attack capped a week of violence that also saw at least 30 people killed on September 17 in coordinated bombings that targeted Shiite neighbourhoods in Baghdad, still mourning the victims of previous attacks. The bombers intended to cause the maximum number of casualties -- detonating their explosives at the end of the day, when Iraqis crowd into markets and cafes.