Baghdad Governor Assassinated.

The governor of Baghdad has been assassinated by gunmen in the Iraqi capital, police sources said.

Governor Ali al-Haidri was a target of another assassination attempt in September last year. Details on the attack are still sketchy.

BBC Link

I cannot see these election(s) going ahead on schedule, and even if they do i think Iraqis will be
too scared to go anywhere near a polling station.

Sanc'.

The elections will not be delayed. The U.S. will never allow this. Even though it is a given at this point that a Shi'a will win the election, the U.S. will still force the election to happen.

Its imperative they do go ahead, even if voter turnout is crappy, but I am sure that there is a plan being worked on to try and ensure that a revote or an additional election is held. My thinking says one or two things will happen:

Elections will go as scheduled, however votes wont tally up correctly, but the govt will be elected with what they do have. Note: There is another election being held later this year in Dec I believe, cause this govt election is only interim like the one now, but a govt has to be established according to UN guidelines and mandates.

Or the elections will be moved at last minute to another date, i.e. Jan 31, Feb 1 to offset/foil any insurgency attacks, so that they happen on the said date, hoping to catch, search, destroy, arrest and anniliate those who oppose the elections, giving the Iraqi people a chance and right to vote.

An additional thought, those running for office know they will become targets immediately after the elections, most likely successors, ones that placed 2nd, 3rd, will be ready to assume position. No matter what the cost, the govt has to prevail and press forward if they want to get that country under control so it can move forward. They can not let the insurgency, terrorists or other factions control it as well as if they want the US out of there. And the Middle East countries will see this in due time and start lending a hand once the govt is established and seems that its running things. Most of the countries want the US out of there, they dont like the fact that we are on their doorstep looking in.

[edit on 4/1/05 by mscbkc070904]

Reports say gunmen shot at his car as it passed through a northern district of the city. At least one of his bodyguards was also killed.

Violence has been escalating ahead of elections planned for 30 January.

In a separate incident, at least 10 people have been killed and at least 50 others injured in a bomb blast at a police post in Baghdad, officials say.

eports say a truck caused the blast near the Green Zone, the heavily fortified government and diplomatic compound.

in this kind of enviroment any sort of political actions will be extremly hard. as the day grown closer to 30th, there will be more and more attacks.
and who is there to grant "securit"?

You see, terrorists assassinating state leaders bring on their own demise. They, by extending the needless bloodshed will achieve one thing: An Iraqi police state. Where national id cards are mandatory, cameras set up all over the place, Search and Seizure rights discarded, Phone lines tapped, secularism spread even more, Black hellicopters in the sky. Nothing compared to the American occupation prior to handing over power to Allawi.

This is a training ground for an elite intelligence agency with an impressive military force.

Sooner or later the Iraqi Secular State will start on a path of outpower or be conquered trail as Israel had following World War II.

Originally posted by RedPhoenixDelta
You see, terrorists assassinating state leaders bring on their own demise. They, by extending the needless bloodshed will achieve one thing: An Iraqi police state. Where national id cards are mandatory, cameras set up all over the place, Search and Seizure rights discarded, Phone lines tapped, secularism spread even more, Black hellicopters in the sky. Nothing compared to the American occupation prior to handing over power to Allawi.
This is a training ground for an elite intelligence agency with an impressive military force.
Sooner or later the Iraqi Secular State will start on a path of outpower or be conquered trail as Israel had following World War II.

i guess the "governor" was not the chosen one by the iraqi people, so thats why they got rid of him. u must understand that he was a puppet, installed by the u.s. forces, currently occuping iraq. the current iraq "police" is merely a helper of the invading armed force, therefore considered as the enemy and not as the police, that saves and helps the people in iraq.
and you are talking about a police state, with choppers in the sky, phone lines tapped and crap like that. what do you think is going on right now? police cant protect the people. even the army cant help the people. the army cant even protect itself! so what do you think, that "police state" is going to help any feeling of "secuirty" there? iraq will never be like isreal, if you think that! there will forever be a rebel force, fighting for survival. and sooner or later there will be peace, but when ALL of the invading forces withdraw from iraq terrirtory.
that is the only way for peace in iraq. until then, you will just see war and bloodshed.

"if you are a big tree, we are a small axe!"
bob marley

Zarqawi group claims assassination

THE al-Qaeda linked group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility today for the assassination of Baghdad's governor, according to a statement and a video posted on the internet.

THE al-Qaeda linked group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility today for the assassination of Baghdad's governor, according to a statement and a video posted on the internet.

"Young mujahideen (holy warriors) from the al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Land of Two Rivers assassinated a tyrant from among the Americans' agents, the governor of Baghdad, may God liberate it (Baghdad) and the whole of Iraq," said the statement, whose authenticity could not be confirmed.

"We tell every traitor and everyone who is loyal to the Jews and the Christians that this will be your fate," it said.

Link

Sanc'.

No surprise that the killings have picked up just prior to the election! But, this guy have been a targetin the past.

Al-Haidari was the target of another assassination attempt last year that killed two of his bodyguards. He is the highest-ranking Iraqi official killed since the former president of the now defunct Governing Council, Abdel-Zahraa Othman, better known as Izzadine Saleem, was assassinated in May.

Yahoo news

We tell every traitor and everyone who is loyal to the Jews and the Christians that this will be your fate," it said.

Well, it happens and no surprise. This has been going on for a long time in history, even if we were there or not.

I believe the communication is lagging because how these people think is different from our prospective, this creates a gap and misunderstanding on the cultural plain. I do not think they know how to handle a new way of life, it is new to them. Their will be those who can not let go of controling, nor have an open mind of what could be the possibilities. Those Iraqis who have lived among us here in the USA will tell their families about their time here, and a hope for them. I personally do not wish to change your faith, but it seams the fear of Jews and Christian are stopping them from beginning a new chapter for this country.