Baghdad Governor Slain; 5 U.S. Troops Die

Yahoo! News ^ | Jan 04, 2005 | NICK WADHAMS

[Angry Republican]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The governor of the Baghdad region, known for cooperating closely with American troops, was assassinated along with six bodyguards as he drove to work Tuesday in yet another bloody day of insurgent attacks that exposed grave security flaws in Iraq (news - web sites) with elections less than a month away.

Other assaults Tuesday killed five American troops as well as 10 Iraqi commandos, bringing the death toll in the last three days to more than 70. Despite the violence, which U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces have been helpless to prevent, American and Iraqi leaders insist the Jan. 30 vote would go forward.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan acknowledged security "challenges" in Iraq but said the election timetable would not be changed.

"For much of the country, the situation is secure enough to move forward on holding elections," McClellan said. "There are a few areas that we're continuing to work to improve the security situation, so those areas will be able to have as full a participation as possible in elections."

While it's true that many areas of Iraq are calm, there are vast regions, including the capital, that are extremely dangerous. In places like Fallujah, which was bombed to ruins in a U.S.-led campaign in November, and the northern city of Mosul, there has been little headway in preparing for the vote.

The attacks have prompted Sunni Arab clerics to call for a boycott, and Iraq's largest Sunni political party announced it was pulling out of the race because of poor security.

The country's Shiites, many of whom are in the government, want to take power but they also want the Sunnis to participate in the vote.

[Angry Republican]

This isn't good.

[Prime Choice]

This is what happens when you wage anything less than total war. Mercy is seen as weakness by Arabs. It's been that way for centuries and no amount of politically-correct idiocy is going to change it.

[oldleft]

It's never good when good men die, but it isn't the end of the world and it isn't getting worse. I'll put up a link to one of my vanities predicting this very thing and why it means we won in Fallujah. Don't let some MSM writers opinions get you down.

[MEG33]

I am humbly grateful for their service..May God comfort those who mourn.

[RetiredArmy]

These attacks are small compared to what they are probably planning to do on actual election day. Attack lines of people voting, attacking voting places, bombings, etc., to scare voters away from the polls. Wonder if the left here in the USA will say those people were disenfranchised because of those explosions?

[Angry Republican]

It's going to get ugly come 1/30.

[Prime Choice]

It's going to get ugly come 1/30.

Considering that we haven't even de-Nazified the Baathists, things are going to spiral right to Hell after January 30th. This war was run better in the first two months than it has been in the last eighteen.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So we should have nuked them?

[i_dont_chat]

Affirmative on the nuking!

[conservlib]

Before we got in, I was thinking about the door to door combat with hostile people, a la Israel attempts to suppress the violence in the West Bank. I wanted us to stay away from occupying an Arab country or commit enough force to rule every single street. We are having a big mess on our hands, and it is very difficult to just cut and leave.

[hershey]

Absolutely right.

[snarks_when_bored]

The Sunnis surreptitiously sponsor the 'insurgency', then pull out of the election because the 'insurgency' has made the country too dangerous for an election to be held.

Screw the Sunnis. The Kurds and the Shi'ites owe them a butt-kicking anyway. I say, go to it, boys.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Sunni Arab clerics"

How stupid do these boofers think we are? THEY are the ones causing the violence, and if THEY don't put an end to it, THEY will lose big-time in the elections, and it will be THEIR FAULT.

[Steve_Seattle]

The Sunnis surreptitiously sponsor the 'insurgency', then pull out of the election because the 'insurgency' has made the country too dangerous for an election to be held. Screw the Sunnis.

Yep - and those morons think we're too stupid to figure this out, that we can't see the patent absurdity and hypocrisy of their position.

[anonymoussierra]

"I am humbly grateful for their service..May God comfort those who mourn."That is truth what you write!! Thank you :{{{{{{{{{ Be strong America good country!

[IchBinEinBerliner20]

I agree. I hope our troops make it through this crisis to help cement a stable society in the region, no matter how unfavorably the odds are stacked against us! God knows I have enough family and friends, from the USA and overseas, in the combat areas! God be with you my friends.

[anonymoussierra]

Thank you