SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    Egypt's PM meets Tokyo governor, witnesses signing of education agreements    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Egypt's Sisi, France's Macron discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts in phone call    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt jump 18.8% in H1-2025: ministry data    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Iraqi troops, police vote ahead of election
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 04 - 03 - 2010

Baghdad--Iraqi troops, police, prisoners and the infirm began voting on Thursday, three days ahead of a parliamentary election seen as pivotal for a divided country which US troops are scheduled to leave by the end of 2011.
Special voting was taking place for groups not able to cast ballots in Sunday's poll, most of them from the 670,000-strong security forces assigned to protect voting stations.
Police in Anbar, a desert province that became the heartland of Iraq's Sunni Muslim-based insurgency after the 2003 US-led invasion, said they had briefly imposed an overnight vehicle curfew after finding a fuel tanker primed with explosives.
The discovery came a day after at least 33 people were killed in volatile Diyala province northeast of Baghdad when three suicide bombers attacked police stations and a hospital.
Police said they had arrested 10 suspects in connection with the coordinated assaults in Baquba, Diyala's provincial capital.
The outcome of the election, Iraq's second full national poll since the invasion, will test progress toward stability.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday only an "extraordinarily dire" security deterioration would warrant a slowdown in plans for the remaining 96,000 US troops to end combat operations in August and withdraw completely by the end of next year.
Foreign oil firms starting to invest in Iraq's vast oilfields are also watching to see if security gains can be sustained against Shia militia, which the US military says are backed by Iran, and Sunni Islamist insurgents like al-Qaeda.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has based his campaign for a second term in part on claiming credit for a sharp fall in violence as all-out war between once dominant Sunnis and the majority Shias empowered by Saddam Hussein's fall receded.
He faces a stiff challenge from his erstwhile Shia partners and also from a secular, cross-sectarian alliance headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, and his security credentials have been undermined by a series of devastating assaults on the Iraqi capital by suicide bombers since August.


Clic here to read the story from its source.