Iraq Elections: Violence Fears Ahead Of U.S. Military Withdrawal

An American soldier looks out toward the border between Iraq and Iran. Photo from The BBC

In Diyala, Dangerous Omens for an Iraq Without U.S. Troops -- Time Magazine

For a glimmer of what Iraq might look like without Americans, take a drive east of Baghdad to Diyala province, whose mixed Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish population is the country in microcosm. U.S. soldiers now rarely leave their bases outside Iraq's cities and towns, leaving security on the road to Diyala largely in the hands of the Iraqi security forces. The soldiers and police who man the many checkpoints wear the latest fashion in pattern-disrupting camouflage uniforms and patches that say "Special Forces" or "SWAT." But they still rely on controversial antenna-rod bomb detectors that may in fact be useless. Their transport consists primarily of high-performance Ford trucks that break down without clean high-octane gasoline that's hard to find in Iraq. And such is the capacity of their resupply operation that they beg for water from passing foreign convoys. "They'd die out here in summer if it wasn't for us," says one American security contractor.

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More News On Iraq

Before Iraq election, Arab and Kurd tensions soar in the north -- Christian Science Monitor
Number of Iraqis killed jumps as election nears -- AP
Iraq death toll spikes ahead of election -- AFP
U.S. pullout top challenge for Iraq security: minister -- Reuters
Weapons, explosives seized ahead of Iraq elections -- AP
Iraq's stability on the line -- Daily Star
Iraq VP slams corruption, urges a vote for 'change' -- AFP
Iraqis Awash in Gifts From Candidates -- New York Times
Iraq's Oil Deals Dominate PM Election -- Time Magazine/AP
US fears Iranian influence in Iraq -- BBC
In Iraq, Americans Struggle to Relinquish Control -- Wall Street Journal
Vote Seen as Pivotal Test for Both Iraq and Maliki -- New York Times
Best and Worst Case Scenarios for the Iraqi Elections -- Atlantic Wire
Warnings of chaos in Iraq as US prepares to pull out -- First Post
Iraq elections: Candidate profiles -- Gulf News