Middle Orient News

Maliki Iraq poll win would mark shift from religion

BASRA, Iraq – Iraq’s Shi’ite Muslim voters chose nationalism and security over religion in local polls, backing allies of the prime minister in a vote that could give them the upper hand in parliamentary elections later this year. Results from Saturday’s election are due later on Thursday, and early signs …

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Iraq investigating serious vote fraud allegations

BAGHDAD  – Electoral officials are examining serious complaints of vote fraud in Iraq’s western Anbar province, where Sunni Arab tribal leaders are disputing provincial election results. The independent electoral commission has received a flood of complaints about fraud and other violations from the largely Sunni Arab province, Faraj al-Haidari, Iraq’s …

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Iraq must focus on reconstruction upkeep, U.S. says

BAGHDAD  – Iraq must ensure it can maintain costly public works and avoid errors that marred past reconstruction efforts backed by billions of dollars of U.S. aid, the senior U.S. military engineer in the country says. The U.S. military has placed new emphasis on making sure that Iraqi officials, from …

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