Iraq War And Election News Updates -- February 4, 2009

An election official sorts ballots in Najaf, a southern Iraqi city that is a pilgrimage site. Three Shiite Muslim political parties vying for power in Najaf province all claimed victory or a tie after weekend elections for provincial councils. Alaa al-Marjani / Associated Press

Iraqi Lawmaker: PM's Party Winner In Elections
-- Yahoo News/AP

BAGHDAD – The Iraqi prime minister's coalition will talk to other parties about sharing power in mostly southern areas after initial projections showed the Shiite leader's allies were the big winners in last weekend's provincial elections, an Iraqi lawmaker said Wednesday.

The early results show Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's allies — the Coalition of the State of Law — finished first in 10 of the 14 provinces where elections were held Saturday, said the lawmaker, Abbas al-Bayati. It was unclear whether al-Maliki's coalition won an absolute majority in any of the provinces.

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More News On Iraq

Iraq Probes Possible Voter Fraud -- Washington Post
Iraq probes vote fraud allegations -- China View
Fraud claim mars Iraq poll -- Financial Times
Voter confusion, exclusion stirs tensions in Iraq's Sunni areas -- McClatchy
Iraq investigating serious vote fraud allegations -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Secularism prevails in crucial Iraq vote -- National Post
Absent Election Results, Iraq Parties Stake Claims -- Los Angeles Times
As Iraqis Tally Votes, Former Leader Re-emerges -- New York Times
What Iraq's elections mean for the US -- Guardian Unlimited
Obama Backs Out on Iraq Appointment -- Washington Times
Likely U.S. envoy to Iraq is a fan of direct diplomacy -- Yahoo News/Reuters
FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Feb 4 -- Reuters
US cmdr: Iran still supporting extremists in Iraq -- The State
Coalition Begins Releasing Detainees Under New Security Agreement -- AFPS
Iraq Arrests Woman Tied to Bombings -- New York Times
Woman Accused of Recruiting Female Suicide Bombers -- Los Angeles Times
Iraqi Woman Had 80 Women Raped & Turned Into Suicide Bombers (Video) -- Gateway Pundit
Fruits of the Surge -- Washington Times editorial
Iraq's Winning Vote -- Washington Post Editorial