Text 2606, 55 rader
Skriven 2004-09-28 03:13:59 av Steve Asher (3:800/432.0)
     Kommentar till en text av Some
Ärende: Insurgency In Iraq...
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Looks like the "catastrophic success" in Iraq is becoming
even more catastrophic and successful. Perhaps the USA &
its allies will come to realise that they are about as
popular as blowies at a barbie, and withdraw before they
achieve even more "catastrophic success".

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Insurgency in Iraq 'intensifying'

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the conflict between US
forces and insurgents in Iraq is getting worse.

He told US TV networks that militants wanted to disrupt elections in
January - but the US would increase efforts to defeat them.

However, he added that Washington remained determined to hold
elections across the whole country.

This comes after Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested that
violence could prevent voting in some areas.

On Thursday Mr Rumsfeld told a Senate committee that a partial
election - leaving out the most troublesome regions - would be "better
than not having an election".

Mr Powell on Sunday recognised that the US was "fighting an intense
insurgency". 

"Yes it's getting worse and the reason it's getting worse is that they
are determined to disrupt the election," he told ABC's This Week
programme.

Mr Powell said polling stations may be shot at, but added that
Washington's aim remained "to give everybody the opportunity to
vote... to make the election fully credible".

Reinforcements

Meanwhile, the commander of US troops in the Middle East, Gen John
Abizaid echoed Mr Rumsfeld in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press
programme, saying Iraqis may not be able to go to the polls in some
places.

But he predicted voting would take place in the "vast majority of the
country". 

(snip / snip / snip)

Source: BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3691748.stm

Cheers, Steve..

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 * Origin: Operation Iraqi Liberation (3:800/432)