Iraq facing threat of bloodbath

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5503001

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents have threatened a bloodbath when Iraqis go to the polls in an election intended to unite the country and quell violence but which could instead foment sectarian strife.

Iraq was under security lockdown on Saturday for Iraq's first multi-party elections in nearly half a century.

Borders were sealed, airports closed and only official vehicles allowed on the streets after heavy bloodshed on the eve of voting, including a bold rocket strike that killed two Americans at the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad's Green Zone.

Insurgents also killed 17 Iraqis and an American soldier on Saturday. snip

The embassy attack deepened fears of an insurgent blitz on election day and demonstrated their ability to strike at the heart of the interim government and American power in their vast fortified complex on the west bank of the river Tigris. snip

Many Iraqis promised to brave the threats when polls open at 7 a.m. (4 a.m. British time), but others were afraid of being targeted at voting places or afterwards. Indelible blue ink that will be daubed on their index fingers to prevent multiple voting could mark them for death.

nmore

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[lala_rawraw]

11. oy...i just threw up...

Tomorrow is going to be baddddddddddd. When all hell goes wacked ... then all the years of hate are going to be aimed at two directions.... and I am going to bed for a long time. I cannot withstand this much blood anymore.

[aquart]

2. Oh, this is going well.

[proud patriot]

3. My prayers for peace go out strong tonight

:-(

[teryang]

4. Threat of bloodbath?

Hello, it is a bloodbath. We're bombing the shit out of them.

[struggle4progress]

5. Iraq extends emergency laws for another 30 days

BAGHDAD, Jan 29 (Reuters) Iraq has extended emergency laws to crack down on insurgents for a further 30 days, a governmnent statement said today, a day before a landmark election.

Emergency rule was first imposed for 60 days in November ahead of a major assault on the rebel stronghold of Falluja, and has now been renewed twice.

It includes special powers to impose curfews and to close borders and airports if necessary, and to detain suspected insurgents without following normal legal procedures.

Between January 28 and January 31, Iraq has imposed special security measures that include extended curfews, travel restrictions and the closing of land borders and Baghdad's airport, to try to safeguard tomorrow's poll.

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG4_sub.asp?ccode=ENG4&newscode=90962

[Earth_First]

7. Democracy at it's finest...

** style.

[VegasWolf]

6. All to meet little shrub's deadline. Death and more death, the war in iraq

was the stupidest move in history.

[DemoTex]

8. Consider this: TET (1968) had no overt warnings. This does.

We are aware of the overt warnings, to a small extent. But, like Tet, things are secrete. Very smart.

[daleo]

9. I sure wouldn't want indelible ink on my finger after the election.

The form that retribution could take for supporting the election is all too obvious.

[NYC]

10. Voting starts an hour from now.

[0007]

13. Holy Smoke! The games are about to start.

[NYC]

16. The game is afoot.

It's voting time in Iraq.

[peekaloo]

12. Did anyone catch the CBS News blurb tonight about missing

Iraqi police uniforms? It was briefly mentioned and reported in relation to tomorrow's, er today's vote. Rather(no pun) ominous.

[Ilsa]

14. Uh oh. We've seen that play before.

And it was bloody.

[SpiralHawk]

15. Basically what CBS said was

That a lot of police uniforms had been stolen in Iraq -- at least many hundreds. This has been reported elsewhere, too, I believe.

Thus, Iraquis who might take comfort in police protection while going to vote, will not know who the Blue Blazes is guarding them.

But never fear, George W. Bush* is here to defend One and all.


*Titan of the Texas Air National Guard, Prince of the Imperial Pig Farm Upon Crawford, and Eddie Haskel Supremo clown-clone of the White House.