Scores of Iraqi civilians and police officers were killed in Baghdad Friday in separate attacks on police stations and a mosque. Senior government officials say the attacks are intended to weaken security and ignite a civil war.
The wave of violence in Baghdad is rising and becoming more deadly...
And the Vietnamization of Iraq continues apace. U.S. Airborne Troops Head for Iraq in Major Buildup
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military kicked off a buildup of forces in Iraq by 12,000 troops on Friday as 82nd Airborne Division soldiers began leaving Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to boost security for Jan. 30 Iraqi elections...
Of course, George Bush thinks elections should go off as scheduled, come hell or high water. And they probably will:
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday that Iraq’s elections must not be delayed from their scheduled date of Jan. 30, rejecting calls from more than a dozen political parties there to postpone them until security at the polls can be ensured.
“It’s time for the Iraqi citizens to go to the polls,” Bush told reporters in the Oval Office...
Yeah. Right. They take their lives in their own hands to run out and rustle up some food. I'm thinking that the average Iraqi isn't particularly motivated right now to get out to the polls. Oh, and are Diebold machines going to be used in Iraq? Just askin'.
Lastly, some election sanity - from the Russian sphere of influence. Ukrainian Supreme Court Cancels Election Results:
Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine's Supreme Court threw out the results of last month's presidential election that showed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych beat Viktor Yushchenko and called for a new runoff to be held no later than Dec. 26.
