Militant Hot Spots Are a Worry as Elections Near

[Snellius]

BAGHDAD -- Iraq remains on course to hold landmark elections in January, but violence could force authorities to exclude hot spots such as the western city of Fallujah from voting, a top U.S. general said here Sunday.

Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz, operations chief of more than 150,000 mostly U.S. troops here, said in an interview that anti-American militancy in places such as Fallujah would not derail the national elections. A contingency plan, Metz said, is to bypass Fallujah -- and perhaps other violent enclaves -- and concentrate on ensuring electoral security in Baghdad and other population centers where hostility is lower.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-fg-vote6sep06,1,4277412.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[wrang_wrang]

1. Disenfranchise those living in areas of opposition

Sort of like Jeb's Florida 2000 election plan.

[da_chimperor]

2. Except with kalishnakovs

And no Kathlene Harris.

[wrang_wrang]

3. Maybe Floridians should invest in Kalishnikovs

to ensure no Katharine Harris repeats.

[mbperrin]

4. You COULD be onto something

here!

[da_chimperor]

5. That's probably why she's not there by now to muck things up!

I'm usually in favor of banning assault-weapons, but I think I can make an exception to this.