Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Defector Exposes Group in Raqqah
ex-ISIS member gives chilling details on the inside of ISIS and explains how young fighters joining the group have no idea they are being used to fight other rebel groups and not Assad.
By: Anti Dictator
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Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Defector Exposes Group in Raqqah - Video
The Debate - Iraq Election (P.1)
As Iraq approaches crucial general elections, violence continues to claim more lives in the country. Bombs at polling stations killed at least 62 people, as the army and police forces cast...
By: PressTV News Videos
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The Debate - Iraq Election (P.1) - Video
Iraq is voting Wednesday in the first nationwide elections since the withdrawal of U.S. troops against a bloody backdrop of sectarian violence.
Hundreds of thousands of security forces deployed to guard voting centers, blocking their streets with trucks and barbed wire.
The poll comes a day after blasts in an outdoor market northeast of Baghdad killed 24 people, while a wave of attacks killed at least 46 people on Monday.
The violence has undermined the Shiite-dominated government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who could seek a third term if his coalition gains a plurality of seats in the vote.
The levels of violence reflect deep sectarian divides and have wide-ranging roots.
It is a struggle between Sunni and Shiite, it is a struggle between religious extremists and more secular figures. It is a struggle between Arab, Kurd and other minorities. It is one mans search for power Malikis versus what was supposed to be a national unity government, said Anthony H. Cordesman, an analyst and expert on Iraq at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All of those different tensions are interacting.
As Iraqs nearly 22 million registered voters cast their ballots, take a look at what some of the issues are -- and whats at stake - for Iraq.
Wednesdays parliamentary elections Wednesday are the fourth poll since Saddam Hussein was toppled -- but the first since U.S. troops withdrew in 2011.
That milestone makes the poll a showpiece for the states democratic apparatus and a test of whether the countrys security forces can ensure the safety of voters.
While there are more than 9,000 candidates in the running for 328 parliamentary seats, al-Malikis State of Law coalition is widely expected to win the most seats.
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated PressUpdated: Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 5:35 amPublished: Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 5:34 am
BAGHDAD, IRAQ (AP) Unshaken by the latest surge in violence, Iraqis braved the threat of bombs and attacks to vote Wednesday in key elections for a new parliament amid a massive security operation as the country slides deeper into sectarian strife.
Hundreds of thousands of troops and police have fanned out to guard voting centers in what is also the first nationwide balloting since the 2011 American pullout. Polls across the energy-rich nation opened at 7 a.m. local time and will close at 6 p.m. Iraqs 22 million voters are electing a 328-seat parliament.
A roadside bomb killed two women as they walked to a polling station in the small Iraqi town of Dibis near Kirkuk, a turbulent city some 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad. Another bomb in Dibis targeted an army patrol, wounding five soldiers, according to Sarhad Qadir, a senior police officer in the area.
In central Baghdad, police and army manned checkpoints roughly 500 meters (yards) apart, while pickup trucks with machine-guns perched on top roamed the streets. Much of the city looked deserted without the normal traffic congestion that Baghdad is notorious for. Most stores were closed.
In Baghdads mostly Shiite Sadr City district, for years a frequent target of bombings blamed on Sunni militants, elite counterterrorism forces were deployed and helicopters hovered above the sprawling area. Buses were used to ferry voters to polling centers.
Authorities also closed Iraqs airspace for the elections, and slapped a ban on vehicles to reduce the threat of car bombings.
Army and police personnel voted on Monday so they could be freed Wednesday to provide security for the rest of voters. Iraqi expatriates in about 20 countries cast their ballots on Sunday and Monday.
Voters are being subjected to multiple searches before they are allowed inside polling centers. Streets leading to the centers are blocked by police trucks and barbed wire.
I decided to go and vote early while its safe. Crowds attract attacks, said Azhar Mohammed as she and her husband approached a polling station in Baghdads mainly Shiite Karadah district. The 37-year-old woman in mourning black had just lost a brother a soldier killed last week in the northern city of Mosul.
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Iraq holds vote for a new parliament
Over a dozen people killed in attacks across Iraq
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Over a dozen people killed in attacks across Iraq - Video