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Iraq to close borders for vote
12.12.2005
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BAGHDAD (Reuters)
- Iraq will close its borders and impose curfews
across the country as part of extensive security
arrangements to thwart insurgent attacks on
Thursday's election, the interior ministry said on
Sunday.
Violence has marred the run-up to the elections,
with a spate of suicide bombings and abductions of
at least eight foreigners in recent weeks.
Thousands of Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by
the U.S. military, will be on the country's streets
to try to ensure Iraqis can vote safely for their
first full parliament since the fall of Saddam
Hussein.
Nearly 8,000 Iraqi special forces alone will
surround polling sites on the day of the vote, a top
Iraqi officer said.
U.S. forces, eager to show that the elections are an
entirely Iraqi affair, have said they plan to stay
away from polling sites and rush in troops only in
emergencies.
Iraq is imposing similar restrictions to those used
for interim polls in January and a referendum in
October, bringing activity around the country to a
virtual halt.
Businesses and government departments will close
from Tuesday through Saturday and overnight curfews
will run from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. each day. No
vehicles except those with special permits will be
allowed on the streets.
Civilians have also been banned from carrying
firearms outside their homes even if they have
permits and are encouraged not to carry large bags
or anything that could be considered suspicious,
officials said.
"I want to tell the Iraqi people that these forces
cannot protect them unless Iraqis cooperate with
them," Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabor told a
news conference.
Iraq will also close all international border
checkpoints and airports from Wednesday until
Friday. It has already barred non-Iraqi Arabs from
entering the country ahead of the vote.
Special attention is being focussed on Iraq's border
with Syria along the restive western provinces of
Anbar and Nineveh, which will be shut until further
notice, the ministry said.
A 5-km- (3-mile-) wide stretch along the border will
be considered a demilitarised zone, where movement
of civilians will be heavily restricted, officials
said.
U.S.-led forces have spent much of the year trying
to flush insurgents out of towns along the Euphrates
river and prevent them crossing into Iraq from
Syria.
In a move officials said was unrelated to the vote,
only 100 people will be allowed to cross into Jordan
each day from the Trabil checkpoint -- a key
crossing for goods and supplies.
Interior ministry officials said the decision was
made at the request of the Jordanian government, but
is not expected to be permanent.
Reuters
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