Iraq sets election date of January 2010 - BBC

Iraq will hold a general election on 30 January next year, officials say.

It will be the second time that Iraqis vote for a national parliament since the US-led invasion six years ago.

Correspondents say the election will be a key test for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose allies made big gains in local elections earlier this year.

The last parliamentary vote in December 2005 was largely boycotted by Sunni Arabs, resulting in an easy victory for Shia parties and Kurdish groups.

The office of Iraq's first deputy parliamentary speaker said the date was proposed by the country's federal court and must now be agreed by parliament, Reuters news agency reports.

The decision to hold the election comes after allies of Prime Minister Maliki, under the State of Law Coalition banner, won a resounding victory in the 31 January provincial vote, giving the premier a popular mandate.

British commander in Iraq declares 'mission accomplished' - Telegraph

The commander of British forces in Iraq has said that all 179 UK troops killed fighting in the war sacrificed their lives for a good cause.

By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent in Basra

Despite the controversy surrounding the conflict, Major General Andy Salmon said that the servicemen and women who had been killed in Iraq since 2003 did not die in vain.

Gen Salmon declared "mission accomplished" for British forces, adding that now was the right time to return to the UK.

Gen Salmon, a Royal Marine Commando, who first served in Iraq 18 years ago, also said he believed that the insurgency had been defeated.

He added that the Iraqi Army now held the "monopoly of violence" and the power vacuum, which had been exploited by the militias, had now disappeared.

The general, who commands the coalition's multinational division south east, also predicted a bright future for Basra and said that with hard work and the right investment there was "no reason" why Basra could not become as successful as Dubai.

The general, who will be Britain's last commander of British troops in southern Iraq, said he was proud of what has been achieved but added that there were important "lessons to be learnt" from the six year operation.

He said that Britain played a significant part in bringing a nation out of the "darkness" of a totalitarian dictatorship.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the general said it was always difficult to judge whether any military operation was worth the sacrifice of soldiers' lives.

He is understood to be the first British officer to publicly state that war was worth the sacrificing the lives of British troops.

The general said: "It's always a very difficult question to answer. Different soldiers will give you different answers, depending on their experiences. We all know that being a member of the Armed Forces on operations is not without risk.

"The picture in Iraq is very positive right now. We (the coalition) got rid of a dictator, we have given freedom to Iraqis, we have seen the start of a democratic process, we have seen things get better. The Iraqis are very friendly towards us and they are actually very appreciative of what we've done and the sacrifices that have been made so we have given something precious. So the sacrifices of our mates have not been in vain, so in that respect it has been worth it."

The general added: "These are not just my views but the view of the majority of the soldiers. I ask them 'Do you think it was worth it?' and they say 'yes our mates didn't die in vain'."

Gen Salmon, who has been in the post since last autumn, also believed now was the right time for the British to pull-out because the military task had been achieved.

The general added that the militias had been defeated and lost the support of the population, although he admitted that they still represented a threat.

He said: "For the UK military, it is a case of mission accomplished. We have achieved what we set out to do. We have got the Iraqi 14 Division up and running to manage security by itself. We have handed over Basra International Airport; we have created a secure and stable environment for social and political development to take place."

The general said that last month's provincial elections were a "litmus test" for the Iraqi army, which it had passed.

He added that the withdrawal of the British Armed Forces did not represent complete disengagement.

"Our leaving doesn't mean that the UK isn't here to stay. It will remain in a number of ways. There will be some diplomatic presence here, there willl be some trading relationships, some commercial activity. There is still a lot of work to help investment to take place and we need to help British investors to get in.

"There will still be defence relationship too. The work that we have been doing with the naval training teams, to help build capacity in the Iraqi navy and marines, will continue to take place and we will probably help with some of their officer training. So it's the end of this particular mission for the UK military but it's not the end of the UK partnership and relationship with Iraq as a nation state."

When asked what the future held for southern Basra and Iraq as a whole, the general admitted that significant challenges lay ahead.

He said that Basra needed billions of pounds of investment and reconstruction and redevelopment of the city could take up to 20 years.

He added: "Basra is a city which has been denied investment for more than 30 years and Iraq, as a whole, has major problems with corruption."

But despite the challenges, the general said that he believed the future was bright.

He said that the "geo-strategic" position of Basra - it is Iraq's only sea port - meant that it could become a major international city.

The general added: "Basra has a rail link to Baghdad, which has rail linked to Turkey, so in two steps you are at the borders of the European Union and that should not be lost on investors.

"There is social, economic and political development that needs to take place and we often use names like Dubai when we try and give people an idea of what Basra could become. I know that speaking to some of my Iraqi colleagues they talk about tax-free zones, like elsewhere in the Middle East. It is that sort of vision the Iraqis all have for Basra."

Anti-American cleric faces challenge to power in Iraq - Boston Globe

The firebrand anti-American cleric whose militia battled US troops for years is facing a strong challenge for leadership of Iraq's poor, urban Shiites from a small, well-organized faction with loose links to Iran, senior figures within his movement say.

The split within Moqtada al-Sadr's organization has widened as Shiite groups weigh the outcome of last month's provincial elections and prepare for a national ballot this year that will determine the leadership in Baghdad.

The dissident faction is expected to mount a campaign to become a rival force appealing to Sadr's base among poor Shiites, senior officials close to the cleric said in interviews this week. This would offer greater openings for Tehran's influence in Iraq and give political cover to the so-called "special groups" of Sadrists that have continued attacks on US-led forces.

For Sadr, the internal battle may become a crucial test of his credibility and resilience after being weakened by crackdowns on his once-powerful and now disbanded militia, the Mahdi Army.

"Iraq has turned a new page after [the provincial] elections," said a statement attributed to Sadr that was read yesterday at prayers in the Sadr City district, his group's stronghold in Baghdad.

"It marks a gate for liberation; a gate to serve Iraqis and not to keep occupiers to divide Iraqis," the statement said.

Results from the Jan. 31 balloting, announced Thursday, had Sadr's loyalists gaining a handful of seats on influential provincial councils across Iraq's Shiite south. This was seen as a sign that Sadr is politically wounded, although he is considered still capable of staging a comeback.

The splinter group within the movement wants to take on that role, however, and is angling to supplant Sadr amid wider political jockeying among Iraq's Shiite majority.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a more secular-oriented Shiite, saw his allies make strong showings across the south in the provincial races, giving the government the early advantage against an expected challenge in national elections from the largest Shiite political group, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, which also has close ties to Iran.

Sadr's sharp rhetoric against the US-led invasion in 2003 and his militia's later battles with American forces catapulted him from relative obscurity to a position of power, particularly among poor and powerless Shiites.

But his standing began to erode after Sadr lost control of longtime strongholds in Basra, Baghdad, and Amarah after Maliki launched offensives against Shiite militias last year.

At the same time, the splinter "special groups" set their own course, pushing on with attacks on US-led forces even after the young cleric declared a unilateral cease-fire in 2007 and then dissolved the Mahdi Army last year.

Now the breakaway faction with ties to the armed groups is planning to field candidates in the elections for the Iraqi Parliament, with the apparent goal of

transforming parts of Iraq into a Shiite state modeled after Iran.

Some key figures in the breakaway groups include former close aides to Sadr's late father, a revered cleric who founded the Sadrist movement and was believed to have been assassinated by Saddam Hussein's agents in 1999.

The breakaway leaders complain about what they say were the younger Sadr's missteps, including dismantling the Mahdi Army, once Iraq's biggest and most feared Shiite militia.

Two senior Sadrists , estimated the breakaway factions represent 30 percent of the movement and say it is better organized and funded than Sadr's camp.

Iraq announces final results of provincial elections

The Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC) announced on Thursday the final results of the landmark provincial elections.

The final results showed that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawlat al-Qanun (State of Law) coalition comes ahead in Baghdad and five southern provinces.

Maliki's best results were in Baghdad and Basra, where his coalition won 28 seats of Baghdad's 57 seats and 20 seats out of 36 in the oil hub city of Basra.

Earlier in February, preliminary results covering 90 percent of the ballot showed that Maliki's coalition came first in Baghdad and eight southern provinces.

Maliki's rival powerful Shiite Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), headed by Abdul Aziz Hakim, hardly regained power in the three Shiite provinces of Najaf, Maysan and Dhi Qar, where the final results showed that Maliki and Hakim divided equal seats.

On Jan. 31, millions of Iraqis headed to cast their ballots in polling stations across 14 out of the 18 Iraqi provinces to choose their leaders in provincial councils.

Families of British servicemen killed in Iraq to get Government help to visit country - Telegraph

The families of British military perosnnel killed in Iraq will get Government help to visit the country and see improvements in the country their loved ones fought and died for, a defence minister has said.

By James Kirkup in Basra

Bob Ainsworth said seeing that advances in Iraq's society, economy and security will persuade families that "the loss of their sons was not in vain."

British forces will start their final withdrawal from Iraq next month, six years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and cost the lives of 178 British servicemen.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph in Iraq, Mr Ainsworth said that in future years, veterans of the British mission and their families will want to visit the country in the same way that Second World War veterans visit the Normandy beaches and other battle sites.

Hailing "dramatic" improvements in the security situation in Basra, Mr Ainsworth also accused opponents of the original invasion for taking a "jaundiced" view of Iraq today and refusing to admit that the country is now making progress.

Iraq's local elections last month passed off without significant violence and British commanders say they will leave confident that the country is on course for stability. Maj Gen Andy Salmon, the senior British officer in Iraq, last week told the Daily Telegraph that Basra is now safer than Manchester.

During his visit to Iraq, Mr Ainsworth was able to walk the streets of Basra, meeting locals and visiting businesses.

Speaking afterwards, he looked forward to the next phase in Britain's relationship with Iraq, forecasting close ties between the two nations because of their "combined history".

"There are going to be a lot of Brits who are going to feel close to this place because they have had experiences here, some good some bad," he said.

"There are going to be people who have lost loved ones here who are going to want to visit. They are going to want to understand Iraq, to see Iraq going forward. They are going to want to think that the loss of their sons was not in vain."

As the security situation improves still further, families and veterans will visit, he said. "There is still going to be an attachment to place."

He added: "As we see with Second World War veterans wanting to visit the D-Day landing sites to see where they were involved and their families wanting to do the same. The same thing is going to happen out here and of course we are going to wind up facilitating that."

Some British soldiers and diplomats in Iraq are frustrated at what they see as the British public's failure to appreciate the significant advances the country has made in recent months.

Mr Ainsworth said that some critics of the 2003 invasion - including Labour MPs - are refusing to admit that life in Iraq is getting better.

"It is difficult when you have been so opposed to the operation in the first place it is very difficult to look at with anything other than jaundiced view from then on," he said. "Some people just think Iraq must be an awful place and they can't see beyond that."

The Government is urging British companies to consider investing in Iraq, but Mr Ainsworth said that outdated fears about security were deterring many firms.

"I think people are blind to the progress to the progress that has been made," he said. "Most people, business people included, have not caught up with the reality."

Mr Ainsworth accepted that some opponents of the war would see any attempt to boost investment as an attempt to "cash in" on the conflict, or even proof that the war was in fact launched to get access to Iraqi oil.

He strongly rejected that argument but added that having lost lives and spent billions of pounds in Iraq, "it would be perverse if we do not seek to develop a good bilateral relationship with Iraq, and of course there is a commercial aspect to that."

For the article on the Telegraph web site click here

Iraq: Basra is less dangerous than Manchester, British general says - Telegraph

Basra is now less dangerous than Manchester, the general commanding British troops in Iraq has said.

By James Kirkup in Basra

Maj Gen Andy Salmon told The Daily Telegraph that following months of steady improvements in the security situation in Iraq's second city, the rate of violent crime and murder in Basra has fallen below some major British cities.

"On a per capita basis, if you look at the violence statistics, it is less dangerous than Manchester," he said, hailing a "radical transformation" in Iraq's prospects.

Since an Iraqi government offensive largely routed violent insurgent groups in Basra last May, British officials in Iraq say that the city has become ever more secure and stable and the Iraqi security forces increasingly competent.

In the latest sign of progress after years of insurgent attacks on British and Iraqi forces, local elections last month passed off without significant violence.

"In a nutshell, Basra is stable," said Maj Gen Salmon.

The general, a Royal Marine Commando, also jokingly compared Basra and Stockwell in south London where he once lived. Asked where he would rather spend a Saturday night, he replied: "Downtown Basra, in the restaurants, enjoying myself."

He said: "It's pretty normal down there: people going about their business, the nights bustle, people are enjoying themselves, kids are playing in parks. People are concerned about the normal things you'd be concerned by: jobs, the delivery of essential services, their future prosperity."

The improved security situation was witnessed by Bob Ainsworth, the Armed Forces minister, who this week visited Basra. Previously, visiting ministers have been confined to secure military bases, but Mr Ainsworth was able to walk the streets of the city and meet locals.

Almost every one of the Iraqis Mr Ainsworth spoke to named the economy and unemployment as their main concern instead of the security worries that predominated in earlier years.

Mr Ainsworth said he had seen "nothing but progress" on his visit and said his walkabout was proof that Basra has been transformed.

He said he was concerned that British people did not realise how much southern Iraq has changed in recent months. "Most people back home haven't caught up with the reality of what has gone on on the ground," he said.

Maj Gen Salmon said the improving security situation is largely down to the presence of very large Iraqi army and police forces: there are more than 30,000 Iraqi security forces in a city of more than 2 million. He said: "The risks are diminishing on a monthly basis. Security, as far as the population is concerned, has ceased to be a concern."

According to British military estimates, the murder rate in Basra fell from 22 in October to 11 in January. Only one of January's deaths has been linked to extremist groups; the rest were "old-fashioned" crimes.

Maj Gen Salmon will be Britain's last general officer commanding forces in Iraq. Starting next month, he will oversee the withdrawal of all but around 400 troops who will remain to train Iraqi forces.

Accepting that the British presence in Iraq since the 2003 invasion has been intensely controversial, the general insisted that the results are now positive.

"We have been through some ups and downs, but the fact is, we have stayed and endured and we have ridden the ups and downs," he said. "We had an opportunity to get behind the Iraqis, get them on their feet. That's what we have done."

After the UK "drawdown," the main British base outside Basra will be taken over by American forces.

Maj Gen Salmon was insistent that there is no question of the British leaving with tasks unfinished, forcing the Americans to take over their work.

Both Basra and Greater Manchester have around 2.5 million people.

According to Greater Manchester Police, there were 46 murders in Greater Manchester in the last 11 months of 2008 alone.

However, the total number of violent attacks was 6.4 per cent down on the previous year.

The number of robberies increased. Between April and June 2008 here were 270 such crimes, compared to 285 between July and September.

Moqtada al-Sadr 'to suffer heavy defeat in Iraq election' - Telegraph

Moqtada al-Sadr, the firebrand Iraqi cleric, who once posed the greatest threat to British influence in Iraq, has suffered a significant defeat in the country's local elections, results are set to show.

By James Kirkup in Basra

British military and intelligence officials in Iraq are confident that Mr Sadr's political allies have been all but routed in the elections.

Iraq held local elections last weekend which passed off largely peacefully with results set to be formally declared on Feb 22.

Unofficial accounts of the results in Basra suggest that Sadrist parties will take only one or two of the thirty-five seats in Iraq's second city, where 4,000 British troops are stationed awaiting their final withdrawal later this year.

British officials see the political setback as the latest sign of Mr Sadr's diminished importance in southern Iraq.

Less than two years ago, Mr Sadr and his followers appeared to be the most powerful group in Iraqi politics, threatening the prospects of the country's western-backed government.

But a high-stakes military operation in Basra last year launched by the Iraqi government with British military support dealt a severe blow to Mr Sadr's status and influence. He had backed militant groups attempting to control Basra which were effectively destroyed by government forces under the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.

Mr Maliki's political allies are expected to make the biggest gains in Basra, something British officials say will facilitate the UK withdrawal from the country, which is set to begin in May.

Mr Maliki is expected to replace the current governor of Basra with one of his own allies, consolidating central government control over the oil rich south and long, British commanders hope, furthering the development of the Iraqi army as a reliable military force.

Mr Sadr meanwhile remains in Iran whose Shia Muslim leadership had backed his attempts to exert influence over Iraq.

Some British sources are even questioning whether Mr Sadr will return from Iran, speculating that his standing has been irrevocably undermined over the past year.

"Sadr gambled against Maliki and the result was that Sadr lost and Maliki won," one British source said.

Provisional election results expected to be released as early as Friday are expected to show that Mr Sadr; s allies polled fewer than 30,000 votes in Basra.

For the full article click here for the Telegraph website

Going downtown in Basra - DFID

Simon

DFID Representative, Iraq

I’ve been downtown twice in the last couple of weeks now, so I thought it might be interesting to set down some impressions of the city (as well as some photographs). Now that security has improved, we’re out and about in town on a regular basis. One of my trips included a long drive into and through town which gave me a particularly good opportunity to get a sense of the city and how things are doing.

Firstly, the atmospherics (as the military term them) are very positive. I’ve worked in other cities in conflict zones and there’s nothing like getting out on the ground for getting a sense of how you’re viewed. As we drove into town lots of I was positively impressed at the warm reception we received – lots of people waved or gave us the thumbs up and in many ways I found it reassuring that often people didn’t bat an eyelid at our presence either way.

Secondly, it’s very obviously been election time. The provincial elections took place on Saturday, and the city is covered in political posters - and since there were over 1200 candidates there’s a huge range of posters. Maybe this’ll seem simplistic but it looks to me like a town in which the population is engaged in the democratic process (and I’ll write about the elections more shortly). Together with the election posters there are a lot of banners and flags still up from the recent Shia religious festival of Ashura so the streets are nothing if not colourful.

Thirdly, though it’s down at heel and seen better days you can see that the downtown area - particularly the Corniche which runs alongside the Shatt Al Arab waterway, with its cafes and floating restaurants and the canals that spur from it - has real potential to be an attractive location. It’s often repeated to us that Basra used to be the ‘Venice of the east’ and while getting back to that is clearly some way off you can see how that may have been true and how it could be again.

Fourthly, there’s a strong and visible Iraqi Security Force presence – both police and army – on the streets. Checks points are set at regular intervals. Security has improved dramatically, and while the situation remains fragile it is incredibly encouraging that it is now the Iraqi Army that people rely on to provide security, not the UK or US.

Lastly, the city is vast, dirty and in places squalid – the journey into town takes over an hour, much of which runs past obviously poor communities where ramshackle houses stand next to pools of stagnant water and piles of rubbish. Much of this reflects decades of under-investment in the city – the city did particularly badly during the Saddam years (the city’s predominantly Shia and the Saddam punished it by starving it of funding following the Shia uprising in 1992 – it also suffered particularly severely during the Iran-Iraq war).

That said, I’m told by many of the people who’ve been here for a number of years that the city is currently in a better state than they’ve seen it before and that visible progress is being made. And while it’s clear that the city’s going to need years of sustained economic growth and investment in basic infrastructure to bring it to where it should be - given Iraq’s relative wealth – it’s also clear that the city’s moving in the right direction.

To see the blog on the DFID website click here

Big poll wins for Iraq PM's bloc - BBC

Preliminary results from Iraq's provincial elections show big wins for the bloc headed by the prime minister, Nouri Maliki.

His coalition won victories in Baghdad and Basra, and emerged as the largest group across the mainly Shia provinces of southern Iraq.

The other major city, Mosul, saw a strong result for a Sunni faction which boycotted the last elections.

Saturday's ballot was the first major poll held in the country since 2005.

The preliminary results, which are subject to appeal and review, confirmed what many anecdotal and unofficial accounts had already claimed, that the State of Law Coalition, headed by the prime minister, has come out very strongly in Shia and mixed areas.

Disappointed

It took 37% of the votes in Basra, 38% in Baghdad, and was ahead of the competition in most of the largely Shia south.

This happened at the expense of what was the biggest Shia faction, the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq, regarded as close to Iran, and running under a different name.

Followers of the militant Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr will also be disappointed by their results.

Among the most closely watched returns were those for the mainly Sunni province of al-Anbar, to the west of Baghdad, where tribal leaders had threatened to take up arms if rival Sunni political parties came out on top.

The results showed one of the traditional parties just half a percentage point ahead of the main tribal coalition, with their chief adversaries coming in third.

It is perhaps a good enough result for the tribal factions to head off trouble, though a pre-emptive curfew has been declared there.

Further north in Mosul, as expected, a newly-formed Sunni faction came out well ahead of Kurdish groups, restoring political balance in an area where Sunnis are the majority.

The electoral commission says it is investigating many claims of election irregularities and the final results may be amended in the coming weeks if they are justified.

Click here for BBC Online

Iraq's provincial elections provide hope of real change - Montreal Gazette

The counting isn't over and it would be a mistake to draw premature conclusions from Iraq's Jan. 31 provincial elections. But the elections added, many observers say, to a sense that change is really coming to Iraq. And it's change, we can't help saying, that Iraqis can believe in.

This doesn't mean a change of government, necessarily. Most accounts suggest the current administration will be re-elected. But the post-Saddam era is ending, and Iraq is moving to something new. Just what that will be is not clear, but almost everyone will see this as progress.
Saturday's elections were the most peaceful vote since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion as well as being the first since Iraq and the U.S. agreed formally that U.S. soldiers will be gone by 2011.

Observers had predicted upheaval at the polls, but there was little. True, it was disappointing that barely half of eligible voters voted, but it was a positive development that Sunnis, who boycotted the 2005 elections, participated in strong numbers.

And the election demonstrated a marked disillusionment with religious parties. Voters signalled a sharp turn toward a secular agenda, evidently putting their support behind Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who had campaigned on a platform of public order under a strong central government.

A nationalist wind also seemed to be blowing, with former prime minister Iyad Allawi's party reportedly attracting votes from both Sunnis and Shias. Strong candidates who can appeal to a spectrum of voters are to be welcomed in a country so severely tested by sectarian violence.
Sunni Iraqis, having lost the predominance they enjoyed under Saddam Hussein, are widely understood to have supported the insurgency against the government.

For Sunnis to have turned out for this election suggests that sectarian fighting might have given way to political dispute, although nobody doubts that criminal and terrorist violence will continue on some scale.

A single election does not a democracy make. This voting was carefully structured to avoid inciting Kurdish nationalists. The Kurdish northern areas did not vote Saturday. They will take part in parliamentary elections to be held toward the end of the year. Voting was also put indefinitely on hold in Kirkuk. Serious challenges still confront the new Iraq.

But a new Iraq it is, and there is hope, at least, that the people of this tattered and troubled country can find a way to manage their affairs with ballots instead of bombs and bullets.

To see the article on the Montreal Gazette click here

UN Envoy: Iraqi Provincial Elections 'Historic'

The U.N. Special Representative in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, said that of the nearly 15 million eligible voters, about 51 percent - almost 7.5 million people - went to the polls on Saturday.

Provisional results are expected in the next few days, but final results are not likely before the end of the month.

Speaking via video link from Baghdad on Tuesday, De Mistura called the election "historic" because it was the first to take place since Iraq regained its sovereignty.

"In other words, an Iraqi election led by the Iraqis, managed by the Iraqis, with the assistance of the U.N., but done by themselves," he said.

Voters went to the polls to select provincial councils in 14 of the country's 18 provinces.

Under the new election law passed by parliament last year, voters were able to choose not only the party they favored, but also specific candidates. The electoral commission certified more than 14,000 candidates, including some 4,000 women.

For the full article on VOANews.com click here

Election success pave way for the leaving of Basra - Independent

By Terri Judd

Basra's elections passed without major incident this weekend setting the tone for the British end game in Iraq.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's sweeping victory in the provincial elections, in which voters chose secular and nationalist parties over religious ones, was reflected in the country's second largest city, where initial reports suggest his list has claimed 50 per cent of the vote.

The relatively peaceful passing of the election set the right tone for the withdrawal of British forces, who are due to leave by the end of July.

UK soldiers, who have assisted in planning and mentoring the Iraqi security services, were on standby to assist with any outbreaks of violence but weren't needed.

This was the first election to be secured by the Iraqis themselves as well as the first to be run by the Iraqis, through the Iraqi International High Electoral Commission.

It has also been the first election where Basrawis voted on the performance of elected officials (the last provincial elections were in 2005) and the first time all the ethnic groups participated (the last time the Sunnis boycotted the elections).

Mr Maliki called the polls "a victory for all the Iraqis" while Prime Minister Gordon Brown Gordon Brown said: "That so many Iraqis once again braved the threat of intimidation to vote in provincial elections sends the clearest possible signal of their commitment to Iraq's sovereign, democratic future."

In Basra all leave was cancelled for the 28,000 Iraqi police and soldiers in the lead up to the voting and a hotline encouraged locals to tip the security services off to any militia activity.
British Military operations will end by 31 May and the remaining 4,100 service personnel will leave within two months. Several hundred trainers will remain, some working with the Iraqi navy.

Violence in the city has dropped dramatically since last March when Iraqi forces, backed by Americans and Brits broke the militias stronghold.

Click here for the Independent online

Iraqi forces taking lead in Basra - Stars & Stripes

Official: British won’t need U.S. replacements

By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes

U.S. troops will not have to replace British troops, who are expected to leave southern Iraq later this year, said British Maj. Gen. Andy Salmon on Monday.

Salmon’s comments come after the top U.S. commander in Iraq said last month that he was considering sending U.S. troops to Basra to replace the British.

Army Gen. Ray Odierno said in December that he might move a brigade or division headquarters to Basra followed by an undetermined number of combat troops, according to The Associated Press.

"We think it’s important to maintain some presence down here just because we think Basra is an important city, and we think it’s important to have some oversight here," he said.

Multi-National Force–Iraq was unable to say by deadline Monday whether Odierno had changed his mind.

"I know that the commander on the ground here will want to make sure he has some situational awareness, but it won’t be replacing U.K. troops man for man," Salmon told reporters.

British troops are expected to pull out of Iraq by July 31, Salmon said. Iraqi security forces in the region are already in the lead, with the help of some U.S. training teams.

"In terms of the Iraqi security force’s capabilities to manage internal security issues, I think that’s really good," he said, adding that both Iraqi troops and police still need work.

As security conditions have improved, the mission in Basra has changed to ensuring the rule of law, providing stability and helping local government to be effective, Salmon said.

Iraqi security forces are able to handle any "low-level violence" following Saturday’s provincial elections, and British troops are expected to complete their mission by May 31, he said.

"So essentially there is no relief in place," he said.

"This is a different mission that we’ve been building up; new security conditions; Iraqis are in charge; Brits finish their job off and they redeploy leaving no vacuums."

Read the article on Stars & Stripes

Basra Polling Was 'Litmus Test' for Security Forces

Iraqi police and soldiers in Basra performed well during the Jan. 31 provincial elections, a senior British officer posted in Iraq said today.

Basra's citizens "were safe and secure" when they casted their ballots, British Royal Marine Maj. Gen. Andy Salmon, commander of Multinational Division Southeast, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.

Salmon's command includes elements of the British and Australian militaries and it operates in the southernmost part of Iraq, including the city of Basra. The elections in Basra passed without major incident, said Salmon, who cited the "impeccable" performance of Iraqi soldiers and police.

Nearly 1.5 million people had registered to vote in Basra and its environs, Salmon said, adding that overall voter turnout in his area topped 50 percent. The elections took place in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces.

Basra's voting-day success "was really important for the Iraqi security forces" there, Salmon said. "It was a litmus-test for them, and the fact that they passed with very minor incidents was a testament to the way they've developed" over the past few months.

Salmon said he was impressed by the Iraqi security forces' demonstrated performance and professionalism. For example, an Iraqi policeman was promptly "sacked" or fired on the spot by his commander, Salmon said, after the officer inappropriately fired his rifle in the air to move along a queue of voters.

Iraqi security forces in Basra will continue to improve, Salmon said, noting he predicts more joint cooperation and partnership between Iraqi soldiers and police. "Now, it's really a question of making sure that police reform continues," Salmon said.

Efforts to enhance border and port security in southern Iraq also are being enhanced, he said. With the much-improved security, Salmon said, Basra's citizens now rate crime, jobs, and the delivery of essential services as higher concerns. Those issues, he said, are "the sort of thing that anybody would be worried about in any city in the world, frankly."

Meanwhile, Basra's people are "determined not to go back to the previous 30 years of darkness," Salmon said, referring to the past brutal, corrupt rule by deceased dictator Saddam Hussein.

"They've tasted freedom recently; they like it and want more of it," Salmon said of Basra's citizens. "They want decent politicians that can deliver; they want more transparency, they want corruption dealt with. "And these elections are really the start of all of that," Salmon said.

See the article on the Australian web site here

High turnout in Iraqi election - Telegraph

Allies of the US-backed Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki have been rewarded at the polls for improving security and tackling insurgents, according to early election forecasts.

Candidates supporting the current prime minister have made strong gains in the south of the country according to Iraqi media.

The southern port of Basra and the Shiite holy city of Najaf are among key areas believed to have posted gains for al-Maliki allies. Iraqi secular parties are also thought to have gained votes because of disillusionment with religious parties.

Overall turnout in Saturday's provincial elections was 51 per cent, less than expected and less than previous polls, but the election passed without major violence.

The low turnout was blamed on confusion over the vote registration. Many Iraqis complained they had turned up at polling stations only to find their names was not registered to vote.

Road closures and vehicle bans designed to prevent car bombings are also thought to have deterred voters.

But those who did cast their votes praised a government-led purge of Shia militias in Basra and southern regions last year.

"Al-Maliki ended the militiamen's reign of terror," said Faisal Hamadi, 58, after voting in Basra. "For this he deserves our vote."

Victory for al-Maliki's allies would come at the expense of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the biggest Shiite party. It would also strengthen his position ahead of national elections later this year.

Sunni voters boycotted the 2005 provincial elections in fear of reprisals and in protest at the US invasion of their country.

However on Saturday Salaheddin, Saddam Hussein's home province, recorded the largest turnout at 65 per cent. Anbar, the former Sunni rebel stronghold which had a turnout of less than one per cent four years ago, recorded 40 per cent turnout the Iraqi election commission said.

Sunni leaders are also hoping to capitalise on their role in dramatically curbing insurgency violence.

Tribal leaders who formed Awakening Councils, abandoning the insurgency to fight al Qaeda, are now hoping for seats on provincial councils.

Voting took place in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces and official results are not expected for several days.

US President Barack Obama congratulated the people of Iraq on the smooth-running elections.

"This important step forward should continue the process of Iraqis taking responsibility for their future," he said in a statement.

More than 14,400 candidates stood for 440 seats in councils, which appoint the provincial governor and oversee finance and reconstruction, with a combined budget of $2.5 billion (£1.8 billion).

The elections took place under tight security with many streets closed to traffic to prevent car bombings.

Violence in Iraq has fallen to its lowest levels since the 2003 US-led election new figures have shown.

A total of 191 Iraqis were killed in violence last month (JAN), including 27 soldiers and 24 policemen. Just over 400 Iraqis were wounded.

"I consider the toll is due to the efforts of the Iraqi security forces, and the support of the Iraqi people, which helped to keep down the terror," said defence ministry spokesman Major General Mohammad al-Askari.

Gordon Brown praised Iraqis for "braving the threat of intimidation"

to take part in the elections.

"That so many Iraqis once again braved the threat of intimidation to vote in provincial elections sends the clearest possible signal of their commitment to Iraq's sovereign, democratic future," he said.

Click here for the Telegraph

Iraqis turn out in record numbers for crucial elections - The Observer

Iraqis voted in record numbers yesterday in pivotal elections hailed as a key test of the sectarian landscape and a battle for power between central government and the disaffected regions.

Voter turnout was beyond expectations across the 14 provinces that took part, according to election monitors, who also reported little violence or overt signs of interference in the ballot.

The poll lead-up had been dogged by warnings that militias linked to the main political blocs would use the elections to mount a resurgence. Attacks were lower, however, than at any time during the past fortnight, with only three mortars reported falling in Tikrit, the former hometown of Saddam Hussein.

The Sunni Muslim blocs turned out en masse after boycotting the last provincial poll in January 2005 and leading a militia-driven rebellion throughout much of the past four years. Up to 60% of eligible voters turned out in the Sunni heartland of Anbar province, compared with less than 2% last time.

At a polling station in the central Iraqi city of Karbala, Sheikh Haidar Mizher said the vote had exceeded his expectations. "The election process will help to stabilise security in Iraq and enforce the law and give us a free and dignified life," he said. "Before the invasion there was no sectarianism. All groups were living together. What happened was caused by hidden hands from outside the country. We believe that things will soon be back to the way they were before the invasion."

The head of coalition party Iraqi National List, Mithal al-Alusi, last night alleged that the Iranian consul-general in the southern Iraqi city of Basra had walked through several polling stations, in a bid to interfere in the ballot. "Our monitors in Basra and other monitors as well saw the Iranian consul walk through with a fully armed convoy," he said. "This is obviously an attempt at intimidation and proves old habits have not died."

In Baghdad and Falluja, candidates claimed they had been threatened with their lives if they failed to stand down.

The prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition was banking on a solid showing in the face of a threatened rebellion from the regions over poor service delivery, said the poll was largely conducted fairly.

"Many people have seen Iraq as a dictatorship, but today that has changed," he said, casting his ballot in Baghdad. "Others are saying this is a sectarian government, but this isn't true. We can't be a dictatorship again and we won't be."

Seen throughout his leadership as a key ally of former US president George W Bush, Maliki had been widely criticised for failing to distribute spoils from an oil-led budget surplus of up to $22bn to the largely impoverished provinces.

Alaa Waheed, an engineer from Karbala, said: "We need new faces and new blood in politics. People have become more aware of elections, and this is a good experiment for democracy at a street level. Change is urgently needed because basic services are very poor. We need a new administration to change that."

The election was also seen as a clash between old-guard exiles, such as former prime minister Iyad Allawi, whose party, the Iraqi National Accord, ran candidates in most provinces, and a new breed of homegrown candidates who campaigned on nationalist and largely secular platforms. The incumbent exiles steadily lost favour as Iraq struggled with sectarian war and crippling instability.

Early results from the polls are expected within three days, but the final balance of power throughout the provinces will not be known for up to three weeks.

Click here for the Observer

At last, election day in Basra - BBC

By Paul Adams

In the sixth instalment of his week-long diary, BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams reports from Basra on the day of the provincial elections.

Election day and for the first time, we leave the old naval base without our British minders. The British military transition team are confined to base on this critical day, so we head out with our Iraqi army escorts.

It is amazing: they have been at our disposal for an entire week now, with barely a grumble.

The Iraqis say they have picked up intelligence of a threat, by a group affiliated to al-Qaeda, to kidnap a British journalist in Basra, so we take extra precautions.

No-one seems to give the warning much credence, but the British tell me to call in every half an hour until we are safely back.

Serious business

We set off in the company of a dozen heavily-armed Iraqi soldiers, through a section of the city they control.

The streets are free of traffic, so our jeeps race along faster than ever. People are walking everywhere, heading for the polls.

The scene at the Farahidi polling station is one of ordered, serious business. Voters look for their names and ration card numbers on lists plastered to the wall outside. A quick security check (the women are led to a blue tent to preserve their modesty) and they are free to go inside and vote.

The army is out in strength. Colonel Haidar el-Azzawi, whose men we have been shadowing all week, is on hand to oversee the security operation. A man who served in Saddam Hussein's army, he is emphatic that Iraqis need to make their own choices.

Overhead, two British Apache attack helicopters circle the city, a reminder that help is at hand, should the Iraqi army need it.

But no-one looks up. The British presence in their city has ceased to be a source of aggravation (there are only 200 British soldiers inside the city, with a handful of armoured vehicles) and they have other, more pressing things on their minds.

Electricity, drinkable water, accountable politics. The raw sewage lying in puddles in the middle of Iraq's second largest city.

The Brits are watching them, though. A successful round of elections means that British troops are one step closer to coming home, according to objectives set by Prime Minister Gordon Brown last summer.

We return to our barracks, to find the lads of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment watching football, playing chess, pulling weights and working out on the treadmills. Their time here is drawing to a close.

High hopes for peaceful elections - BBC

By Paul Adams

In the fifth instalment of his week-long diary, BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams discovers high hopes that the elections will go ahead peacefully.

After a week of unbroken sunshine, the clouds gather and it rains. It patters hard on the canvas covering the makeshift solar showers and forms wide puddles around the Mastiff armoured vehicles parked outside. It is cold.

With Saturday's provincial elections taking place, the men of Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment are pretty much confined to barracks. They already keep a low profile in the city, but will be invisible on polling day. Nothing must be allowed to alter the impression that this is an entirely Iraqi affair.

The men are briefed on events in the city. Their area of operations includes numerous polling stations. The Iraqi army is deployed in strength around the city, securing the outer perimeters of polling stations, and no-one here seems to think there will be trouble.

But with a couple of hundred British soldiers still based in the city, and 4,000 stationed nearby, they will respond if the Iraqis ask for help.

Given that the successful holding of provincial elections is one of the conditions the British government has set for the final withdrawal of its troops from Iraq, everyone hopes the day will pass off peacefully.

The men of 1 PWRR are told what will happen if they are called out. A map is displayed here in their base, showing the locations of polling stations.

But everyone is relaxed and most spend the day attending to chores and studying. An education officer is visiting for a few days and she has got the men's noses in their books.

They are not under any obligation to study, but they know that promotion depends on reaching certain educational standards. For many young men who left school early, it is an opportunity to make up for lost time.

Fred and I prepare video material for tomorrow's election coverage and send it over via satellite. It takes hours. Late in the evening we are told by London that something has gone wrong and it all has to be sent again. Glamorous lifestyle, this.

Click here for BBC Online

Basra aiming to turn the corner - BBC

By Paul Adams

In the fourth instalment of his week-long diary, BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams meets the people preparing for the weekend's elections.

Another chance to see the British mentors in action this morning as we visit an Iraqi army battalion headquarters downtown. The 1-50 are housed in a building that should have been a hotel but was never finished.

It is in a sorry state, roof tiles sagging, broken windows, whole rooms upstairs full of rubbish. The water in the swimming pool is an evil shade of green.

But Sgt Maj Jim Leech is not interested in niceties. He wants to know how the base is organised. He casts an experienced soldier's eye over the storeroom and clinic and makes suggestions on how things can be done better. He is unfailingly polite and never remotely patronising.

In a one-time bathroom, grenade launchers are piled in a wooden box. But the gun racks are clean and labelled - everything is checked in and out. Sgt Maj Leech seems satisfied.

Truck loads of 1-50 soldiers are loading sleeping bags and personal kit onto their jeeps. They are off to guard the outer perimeters of polling stations across the city, ahead of Saturday's important provincial elections.

'Critical point'

We drive off, along streets smothered in campaign posters, to a meeting with Hatem el-Bachary, who is heading an independent list and hoping to pick up a few of the 35 seats up for grabs in Basra.

A genial businessman, with company offices in Bradford, he says it is time to invest in the city's future because people are disappointed with what Iraq's politicians have achieved so far.

"This is a very critical point in the democracy of Iraq," he tells me. "They have already wasted five or six years."

Hatem looks out over a fetid canal that runs beside his park and says he dreams of turning Iraq's second largest city into something people can be proud of. He speaks with real passion, but the task is daunting. The city does not seem to have changed much in appearance since I first came here in late 2003.

This evening, we drive into the teeming heart of the city, into streets that have come alive. A year ago, with the city held hostage by fundamentalist militias, Basra was dead after dark. But the government took on the militias and now, despite Basra's myriad problems, the city seems to have turned a corner - for the time being at least.

Hatem is out campaigning. His young team have set up a projector on a corner of broken kerb stones, and a small crowd of curious onlookers is blocking the traffic.

For a man with big ambitions, it is an embarrassing affair. There are endless problems with the projector and the sound, and the screen keeps being blown over in the breeze. Hatem does not seem in the least bit fazed and says it is important for politicians to be out on the street, meeting real people.

It is hard to see how he can break the power of the larger parties in Basra, but he is full of optimism. We leave as the sound system is finally fixed and his campaign song - which seems to consist mainly of his name, repeated over and over - blends with the car horns and bustle of night time Basra.

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Enthusiasm - and wariness - as Basra prepares to vote - Independent on Sunday

By Terri Judd

Basra's mobile phones have been buzzing incessantly for the past few weeks as candidates implore the local population by text message to vote in tomorrow's election.

Today the printing presses that have been churning out leaflets finally fell quiet, their wares now mingling with the sewage that still fills too many of the city's streets.

Across Iraq's second largest city, the British main area of operations for almost six years, pick-up trucks have been circling with loud speakers. Posters of portly men in suits stare down at the locals, a visible difference from the host of severe looking clerics that once dominated the walls.

The enthusiasm of a youthful democracy is palpable as Basrawis face a dizzying array of 1,272 candidates competing for just 35 seats. People lining up at the pomegranate smoothie stalls or perambulating down the riverside corniche have been holding lively, passionate discussions as they prepare to vote.

Queues are expected to be slow going at the cities 3,360 polling stations where the voters will first be faced with a list of the 82 parties before having to consult a booklet of candidates to make their final choice.

Among them is Salah Al-Rekhayis, of the Movement of Free Iraqis, who is bidding to become the first member of the, often overlooked, black community to be voted into power. Mr Al-Rekhayis, from Az Zubayr, a town south west of Basra, insisted that it was the US President Barack Obama who inspired him to run.

While security has improved beyond recognition since Operation Charge of the Knights last March, when Iraqi security forces backed by the Americans and Brits drove the insurgents out of the city, the locals have many issues to challenge their elected representatives about. Why, in such a naturally wealthy country, are they still subjected to problems with sewage, unemployment, electricity and water, they want to know.

But the glee with which the city's 1,340,000 registered voters have welcomed their first opportunity to stand in judgement of the four-year-old provincial government has been tempered by a fear that the violence will return. On Thursday a driver for the sewage department was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra, the third in January. Two Iraqi border police died in earlier attacks.

While the number of incidents are radically down from the days when the militias dominated the city, it is still treble the explosions felt in December and the local security forces have been wary of any outbreaks of intimidation during the election.

All leave has been cancelled for the 28,000 Iraqi police and soldiers who have flooded the city in the lead up to the voting, attempting to convince the population that it is safe to take part. A hotline has encouraged locals to tip the security services off to any militia activity.

The 4,100 British service personnel in the area, who have assisted in planning and mentoring, will be nowhere in evidence tomorrow, deliberately disappearing in favour of their Iraqi counterparts.

However, they will remain alert, ready to provide a quick reaction force or casualty evacuation if the situation explodes.

"We will all be ready if something goes wrong and General Mohammed's troops can not cope but they will cope," said Lieutenant Colonel Dickie Winchester, spokesman for the British forces.

Observers from the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission as well as the Arab League, Turkey, the US and Britain have been monitoring the election.

But the British remain wary of what will happen when the results are announced around 2 February before a two-week challenge period.

Lt Col Winchester explained: "There are no indications that there will be significant violence. The Iraqi Security Forces remain on alert, and are prepared to counter violence, should it break out once the results are issued, in a ‘bad loser' scenario. That said, all major parties – including Muqtada al-Sadr's party – have called on people to vote in large numbers. Noone is boycotting the election and nobody has said anything about violence."

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