Iraq News Updates -- March 5, 2010

Iraqi police officers and soldiers celebrated on Thursday after casting their ballots in early voting for the parliamentary elections. Joao Silva for The New York Times

Shaky Start For Iraq Vote -- Wall Street Journal

Killings, Fraud Claims Greet Election That Will Test Tilt Toward Secularism.

BAGHDAD—An Iraqi election to choose the country's next leader and help shape the U.S. role here for the next four years opened Thursday to deadly violence and fraud claims.

Early balloting began for hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, including police and military who will be on duty Sunday, the main voting day in Iraq's second general election since the ouster of Saddam Hussein.

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More News On Iraq

Maliki set to struggle for second term as Iraq PM -- Reuters
Iraq's prime minister facing tough battle to hang on to his post -- Dallas News/L.A. Times
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki showers Iraq electorate with gifts -- Times Online
Iraqi prime minister doesn't fear return of violence with elections -- CNN

Defying bombers, Iraqi security forces vote en masse -- McClatchy News
Suspicious and Angry, a Shiite Cleric’s Followers Await the Iraqi Vote -- New York Times
Thousands Of Election Observers To Monitor Iraq Vote -- Radio Free Europe
Expatriates vote in Iraq election -- BBC
Iraqi Candidates Wrap Up Campaigning -- Voice of America

In Iraq, Early Vote Is Marred by Attacks -- New York Times
Early Voting in Iraq Marred by Suicide Attacks -- Voice of America
Suicide bombs before Iraq election show Al Qaida still active -- McClatchy News
Iraq early voting shattered by deadly blasts -- Yahoo News/AP

Clashes in Iraq's north underscore fierce political rivalry among Kurds -- Washington Post
Kurdistan, the other Iraq -- Globe And Mail
Change party roils Kurdish elections -- L.A. Times

Senior US Administration Officials Confident Ahead of Sunday's Election in Iraq -- FOX News
Iraq Election Violence Won’t Hamper Troop Withdrawal, U.S. Says -- Bloomberg
Iraqi election violence may sway U.S. stay -- Washington Times

Iraq on the Eve of Elections -- Institute for the Study of War (Pdf File)
Iraq's big test could reshape Middle East -- CNN opinion
Iraq election: Young war generation yearns for old stability -- Christian Science Monitor
Polls bring hope amid chaos of a fractured nation -- The Age
Why This Sunday's Election Will Create Major Problems For Iraqi Oil -- Business Insider
Foreign Policy: The Guide To Iraqi Elections -- NPR