http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq30jul30.story THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ
Conference Postponed Amid Fraud Allegations
The gathering to choose an interim national assembly is delayed for two weeks. Three sons of a provincial governor are kidnapped.
By Alissa J. Rubin and Raheem Salman
Special to The Times
July 30, 2004
RAMADI, Iraq — The conference of top civic and tribal leaders to pick a national assembly was postponed Thursday amid allegations of fraud and corruption.
The announcement of the delay came as violence and kidnappings by insurgents seeking to undermine the U.S. presence and the new Iraqi government continued, especially in Ramadi, where three sons of the governor of Al Anbar province were seized. On Wednesday, at least 68 Iraqis died in the deadliest car bombing since Iraq gained sovereignty last month.
"These are forces of evil who are acting against us," interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said on a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he called for a force from other Muslim countries to help bring security to Iraq. "We are going to suffer casualties — we are suffering casualties. We are going to — and we have to — end their terrorism route," he said at a news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. The response from the Islamic world to the request for troops has been lukewarm.
Early today, Powell made an unannounced trip to Baghdad where he was expected to hold talks with senior Iraqi officials, Associated Press reported. Powell is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit Iraq since the interim government took power June 28.
Under pressure from the United Nations, organizers of the conference to select Iraq's interim national assembly said they were reluctantly postponing the event, set to begin Saturday, for two weeks. There have been allegations of fraud and violence at regional caucuses to select the 1,000 delegates. <snip>
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