15 Iraqis Killed In Attacks Focusing

15 Iraqis Killed in Attacks Focusing on Polling Places

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat reports that guerrillas killed 15 Iraqis on Thursday and blew up six polling sites, continuing their campaign to prevent successfull elections on Sunday. One such attack involved a clash with the new Iraqi army, and when the smoke cleared 11 Iraqis and one US soldier were dead.

Veteran Middle East correspondent Trudy Rubin has done some interviewing recently in Baghdad and came away hopeful about the wisdom of the Shiite political leadership about to come to power. She seems convinced that they are savvy enough to avoid provoking unnecessary ethnic conflict. I agree that the Shiite leadership has been remarkably restrained and responsible. I’m more worried about the Sunni Arab elite, which seems dedicated to a years-long guerrilla war that is probably doomed to eventual failure.