Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
BAGHDAD, Iraq - (AP) The U.S. military predicted Thursday that
violence would increase around Iraq as final results from last month's elections are released and political groups forge ahead with forming a new government.
Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition force, said that a series of "horrific attacks" that left at least 500 people dead since the Dec. 15 elections were an indication that insurgents were trying to take the opportunity of the transition to a new government in an effort destabilize the democratic process.
"As democracy advances in the form of election results and government formation, and as the military pressure continues, and the pressure generated by political progress increases, we expect more violence across Iraq," he said at a news briefing.
Final election results are expected to be relased early next week.
Alston said that as a new government starts coming together "those committed to seeing democracy fail will see this time of transition as an opportunity to attack the innocent people of Iraq."
He said the recent attacks were part of an "attempt to discredit and derail the progress of the Iraqi people"
At least 121 people died last week in twin suicide attacks against a Shiite shrine in the holy city of Karbala, and a police recruiting center in Ramadi. A day earlier, at least 32 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a Shiite funeral in Muqdadiyah. Another 29 died in a Monday attack against the Interior Ministry in Baghdad.
All the attacks, Alston said, had a common aim: "to incite fear and create doubt in the people of Iraq in an attempt to suffocate progress toward a better future for Iraq."
He added that "many innocent Iraqis were undeniably targeted by terrorists. The increase in attacks across Iraq this past week clearly indicatea that al-Qaida and others terrorists still have the capability to surge."
violence would increase around Iraq as final results from last month's elections are released and political groups forge ahead with forming a new government.
Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition force, said that a series of "horrific attacks" that left at least 500 people dead since the Dec. 15 elections were an indication that insurgents were trying to take the opportunity of the transition to a new government in an effort destabilize the democratic process.
"As democracy advances in the form of election results and government formation, and as the military pressure continues, and the pressure generated by political progress increases, we expect more violence across Iraq," he said at a news briefing.
Final election results are expected to be relased early next week.
Alston said that as a new government starts coming together "those committed to seeing democracy fail will see this time of transition as an opportunity to attack the innocent people of Iraq."
He said the recent attacks were part of an "attempt to discredit and derail the progress of the Iraqi people"
At least 121 people died last week in twin suicide attacks against a Shiite shrine in the holy city of Karbala, and a police recruiting center in Ramadi. A day earlier, at least 32 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a Shiite funeral in Muqdadiyah. Another 29 died in a Monday attack against the Interior Ministry in Baghdad.
All the attacks, Alston said, had a common aim: "to incite fear and create doubt in the people of Iraq in an attempt to suffocate progress toward a better future for Iraq."
He added that "many innocent Iraqis were undeniably targeted by terrorists. The increase in attacks across Iraq this past week clearly indicatea that al-Qaida and others terrorists still have the capability to surge."