25 Die in String of Iraq Insurgent Attacks

25 Die in String of Iraq Insurgent Attacks--AP

The Sunni Triangle exploded today with carbombs, gunfire, and knives--twelve Iraqi police officers had their throats slit--in the run-up to January elections. As I said earlier, the insurgency can be expected to do everything they can to disrupt the upcoming elections. Any government elected next January runs the risk of being seen as "illegitimate" or as a "puppet government" if elections are held under the threat of violence. Still, the US and the interim Iraqi government are adamant about letting the elections go on time, even with so much riding on them.

But in an op-ed to the Washington Post, Iraq's Ambassador to the United Nations argues that there may be a third way, somewhere beyond cancelling or postponing the elections, and letting them be seen as the "mandate" for the government that results from them.