Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
By PATRICK QUINN - Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - (AP) Campaigning halted Wednesday across Iraq to
give its 15 million voters an opportunity to reflect before parliamentary
elections _ the final step toward constitutional democracy since the ouster
of Saddam Hussein two years ago.
Baghdad's streets were eerily quiet on the eve of Thursday's
parliamentary election, with police strictly enforcing a traffic ban. Only
an occasional siren, a sporadic gunshot, a U.S. helicopter, or shouts from
boys playing soccer could be heard. Borders and airports also have been
closed, and the nighttime curfew has been extended.
In scattered violence, gunmen shot up four polling stations near
Fallujah, but no one was hurt, police said. Two police officers were killed
and four others were wounded by a roadside bomb that exploded next to an
Interior Ministry patrol in northern Mosul, according to officials at
Jumhouri hospital.
President Bush said in a speech in Washington that the elections
will inspire democracy across the Middle East, but he also accepted
responsibility for going to war in Iraq with faulty intelligence.
"We are in Iraq today because our goal has always been more than the
removal of brutal dictator," Bush said. "It is to leave a free and
democratic Iraq in his place."
Bush said the United States, at the request of Iraqi leaders,
accelerated the transition to Iraqi self-government.
"We set four major milestones to guide Iraq's transition to
constitutional democracy: the transfer of sovereignty, elections for a
transitional government, the adoption of a democratic constitution, and
elections for a new government under that constitution. In spite of the
violence, Iraqis have met every milestone," he said.
President Jalal Talabani described the elections as "a national
celebration, a day of the national unity and of victory over the terrorists
and those who oppose our march toward democracy."
He said a good turnout would give the new government the legitimacy
it needs to deflate the insurgency and allow it to build up its armed forces
so foreign troops could begin withdrawing.
The otherwise calm day was disrupted by demonstrations by thousands
of Shiites angered over disparaging remarks made about them by a fellow
Shiite politician on an Al-Jazeera television talk show late Tuesday.
The demonstrations, which turned into political rallies, threatened
to further polarize the elections after angry Shiites in the southern city
of Nasiriyah set fire to a building housing the offices of former interim
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. A secular Shiite, Allawi has campaigned on a
platform of national reconciliation.
Also set ablaze was the Nasiriyah office of the Iraqi Communist
Party, whose candidates are running on the same slate as Allawi. A guard at
the Communist Party offices was hospitalized with serious burns and three
police officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
Fadel al-Rubaei, as Shiite living in exile, said on a talk show
broadcast by Al-Jazeera that Shiite clerics should not take part in
politics, and he accused them of conspiring with the Americans against the
mostly Sunni insurgents.
On Tuesday's last day of campaigning, a roadside bomb killed four
American soldiers and gunmen assassinated a candidate for parliament. A
Shiite politician escaped injury in a bombing south of Baghdad.
The election commission said it had registered 7,655 candidates on
996 lists and had certified 307 political groups _ either in the form of
single candidates or parties _ and 19 coalitions. Baghdad is the biggest
electoral district, with 2,161 candidates running for 59 of the 275 seats in
parliament, said commission executive director Adel Ali al-Lami. There are
33,000 polling stations around Iraq.
The Interior Ministry denied reports that a tanker truck filled with
thousands of blank ballots had been confiscated in the town of Badra near
the Iranian border.
Election commission spokesman Farid Ayar told Al-Arabiya television
the report was untrue and called it "a kind of an electoral ploy in favor of
this party or that."
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, meanwhile, said the number of
abused prisoners found so far in jails run by the Shiite-led Interior
Ministry came to about 120. Khalilzad's statement reinforced Sunni Arab
claims of mistreatment by security forces _ a major issue among Sunnis in
the campaign.
Despite the violence, more than 1,000 Sunni clerics issued a
religious decree instructing their followers to vote Thursday, boosting U.S.
hopes the election will encourage more members of the disaffected minority
to abandon the insurgency.
Three of Iraq's leading politicians agreed that a speedy withdrawal
of foreign troops before Iraqi forces are ready would cause chaos.
But the three _ Allawi, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and Sunni
Arab politician Tariq al-Hashimi _ disagreed on the description of U.S. and
other foreign troops. Barzani described them as "forces of liberation,"
while al-Hashimi said they were occupiers.
The three, speaking from Baghdad and representing important
constituencies, appeared in a debate on Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television.
Such debates are rare in the Arab world, where candidates mainly rely on
rallies attended by hand-picked followers.
Barzani heads the Kurdish autonomous region in the north and is
among the country's most powerful politicians. Allawi heads a religiously
mixed ticket, while al-Hashimi represents a major Sunni Arab coalition.
Allawi said an early U.S. withdrawal "will lead to a catastrophic
war."
Al-Hashimi, whose party has been sharply critical of the U.S. role,
said he looked forward to "my country's liberation" but not "to be followed
by chaos." He also criticized President Bush for saying the United States is
fighting terrorism in Iraq.
"Why should Iraqis pay a bill for something they have nothing to do
with?" said al-Hashimi, a candidate for parliament. "Terrorism is not the
problem of Iraqis."
Iraqis abroad voted Tuesday in the United States and 14 other
countries _ including Syria, Jordan and Iran _ and Associated Press
reporters saw heavier turnout than in Iraq's January elections.
Many Sunnis boycotted the January election, enabling rival Shiites
and Kurds to win most of the seats in the interim parliament _ a development
that sharpened communal tensions and fueled the insurgency. But unlike
January's vote, which elected a government that was to last less than a
year, the new government will last four years.
In an encouraging sign, more than 1,000 Sunni clerics issued a
religious edict, or a fatwa, on Tuesday, urging followers to vote.
While some prominent clerics with links to the insurgency have
avoided calling on followers to cast ballots, the edict likely will
encourage many Sunnis to vote. They hope that more participation will lessen
the ability of the Shiite majority to abuse them.
Six insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq, have said they
would not attack polling stations. But they all vowed to continue their war
against U.S.-led coalition forces.
Khalilzad said on the prisoner abuse issue that "over 100" of the
detainees found last month at an Interior Ministry jail in Baghdad's
Jadriyah district were suffering signs of abuse. Another "21 or 26 people"
were found three days ago at another Interior Ministry lockup, he said.
Khalilzad said the United States would "accelerate the
investigation" to determine who was responsible for abuses _ a longtime
Sunni Arab demand.
The Interior Ministry has not said why the prisoners needed
treatment, what had caused their injuries, or if they were consistent with
abuse or torture.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - (AP) Campaigning halted Wednesday across Iraq to
give its 15 million voters an opportunity to reflect before parliamentary
elections _ the final step toward constitutional democracy since the ouster
of Saddam Hussein two years ago.
Baghdad's streets were eerily quiet on the eve of Thursday's
parliamentary election, with police strictly enforcing a traffic ban. Only
an occasional siren, a sporadic gunshot, a U.S. helicopter, or shouts from
boys playing soccer could be heard. Borders and airports also have been
closed, and the nighttime curfew has been extended.
In scattered violence, gunmen shot up four polling stations near
Fallujah, but no one was hurt, police said. Two police officers were killed
and four others were wounded by a roadside bomb that exploded next to an
Interior Ministry patrol in northern Mosul, according to officials at
Jumhouri hospital.
President Bush said in a speech in Washington that the elections
will inspire democracy across the Middle East, but he also accepted
responsibility for going to war in Iraq with faulty intelligence.
"We are in Iraq today because our goal has always been more than the
removal of brutal dictator," Bush said. "It is to leave a free and
democratic Iraq in his place."
Bush said the United States, at the request of Iraqi leaders,
accelerated the transition to Iraqi self-government.
"We set four major milestones to guide Iraq's transition to
constitutional democracy: the transfer of sovereignty, elections for a
transitional government, the adoption of a democratic constitution, and
elections for a new government under that constitution. In spite of the
violence, Iraqis have met every milestone," he said.
President Jalal Talabani described the elections as "a national
celebration, a day of the national unity and of victory over the terrorists
and those who oppose our march toward democracy."
He said a good turnout would give the new government the legitimacy
it needs to deflate the insurgency and allow it to build up its armed forces
so foreign troops could begin withdrawing.
The otherwise calm day was disrupted by demonstrations by thousands
of Shiites angered over disparaging remarks made about them by a fellow
Shiite politician on an Al-Jazeera television talk show late Tuesday.
The demonstrations, which turned into political rallies, threatened
to further polarize the elections after angry Shiites in the southern city
of Nasiriyah set fire to a building housing the offices of former interim
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. A secular Shiite, Allawi has campaigned on a
platform of national reconciliation.
Also set ablaze was the Nasiriyah office of the Iraqi Communist
Party, whose candidates are running on the same slate as Allawi. A guard at
the Communist Party offices was hospitalized with serious burns and three
police officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
Fadel al-Rubaei, as Shiite living in exile, said on a talk show
broadcast by Al-Jazeera that Shiite clerics should not take part in
politics, and he accused them of conspiring with the Americans against the
mostly Sunni insurgents.
On Tuesday's last day of campaigning, a roadside bomb killed four
American soldiers and gunmen assassinated a candidate for parliament. A
Shiite politician escaped injury in a bombing south of Baghdad.
The election commission said it had registered 7,655 candidates on
996 lists and had certified 307 political groups _ either in the form of
single candidates or parties _ and 19 coalitions. Baghdad is the biggest
electoral district, with 2,161 candidates running for 59 of the 275 seats in
parliament, said commission executive director Adel Ali al-Lami. There are
33,000 polling stations around Iraq.
The Interior Ministry denied reports that a tanker truck filled with
thousands of blank ballots had been confiscated in the town of Badra near
the Iranian border.
Election commission spokesman Farid Ayar told Al-Arabiya television
the report was untrue and called it "a kind of an electoral ploy in favor of
this party or that."
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, meanwhile, said the number of
abused prisoners found so far in jails run by the Shiite-led Interior
Ministry came to about 120. Khalilzad's statement reinforced Sunni Arab
claims of mistreatment by security forces _ a major issue among Sunnis in
the campaign.
Despite the violence, more than 1,000 Sunni clerics issued a
religious decree instructing their followers to vote Thursday, boosting U.S.
hopes the election will encourage more members of the disaffected minority
to abandon the insurgency.
Three of Iraq's leading politicians agreed that a speedy withdrawal
of foreign troops before Iraqi forces are ready would cause chaos.
But the three _ Allawi, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and Sunni
Arab politician Tariq al-Hashimi _ disagreed on the description of U.S. and
other foreign troops. Barzani described them as "forces of liberation,"
while al-Hashimi said they were occupiers.
The three, speaking from Baghdad and representing important
constituencies, appeared in a debate on Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television.
Such debates are rare in the Arab world, where candidates mainly rely on
rallies attended by hand-picked followers.
Barzani heads the Kurdish autonomous region in the north and is
among the country's most powerful politicians. Allawi heads a religiously
mixed ticket, while al-Hashimi represents a major Sunni Arab coalition.
Allawi said an early U.S. withdrawal "will lead to a catastrophic
war."
Al-Hashimi, whose party has been sharply critical of the U.S. role,
said he looked forward to "my country's liberation" but not "to be followed
by chaos." He also criticized President Bush for saying the United States is
fighting terrorism in Iraq.
"Why should Iraqis pay a bill for something they have nothing to do
with?" said al-Hashimi, a candidate for parliament. "Terrorism is not the
problem of Iraqis."
Iraqis abroad voted Tuesday in the United States and 14 other
countries _ including Syria, Jordan and Iran _ and Associated Press
reporters saw heavier turnout than in Iraq's January elections.
Many Sunnis boycotted the January election, enabling rival Shiites
and Kurds to win most of the seats in the interim parliament _ a development
that sharpened communal tensions and fueled the insurgency. But unlike
January's vote, which elected a government that was to last less than a
year, the new government will last four years.
In an encouraging sign, more than 1,000 Sunni clerics issued a
religious edict, or a fatwa, on Tuesday, urging followers to vote.
While some prominent clerics with links to the insurgency have
avoided calling on followers to cast ballots, the edict likely will
encourage many Sunnis to vote. They hope that more participation will lessen
the ability of the Shiite majority to abuse them.
Six insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq, have said they
would not attack polling stations. But they all vowed to continue their war
against U.S.-led coalition forces.
Khalilzad said on the prisoner abuse issue that "over 100" of the
detainees found last month at an Interior Ministry jail in Baghdad's
Jadriyah district were suffering signs of abuse. Another "21 or 26 people"
were found three days ago at another Interior Ministry lockup, he said.
Khalilzad said the United States would "accelerate the
investigation" to determine who was responsible for abuses _ a longtime
Sunni Arab demand.
The Interior Ministry has not said why the prisoners needed
treatment, what had caused their injuries, or if they were consistent with
abuse or torture.