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BAGHDAD (AP) Iraqs elections on Sunday come with enormous challenges: Iraqs economy has been battered by years of conflict, endemic corruption and more recently, the coronavirus pandemic. State institutions are failing, the countrys infrastructure is crumbling. Powerful paramilitary groups increasingly threaten the authority of the state, and hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced from the years of war against the Islamic State group.

While few Iraqis expect meaningful change in their day-to-day lives, the parliament elections will shape the direction of Iraqs foreign policy at a key time in the Middle East, including as Iraq is mediating between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iraqs elections will be watched by all in the region to determine how the countrys future leadership will sway the regional balance of power, said Marsin Alshamary an Iraqi-American research fellow with the Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center.

So, what are the main things to watch for?

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MANY FIRSTS

The elections are being held early, in response to mass protests that erupted in 2019. Its the first time a vote is taking place because of demands by Iraqi protesters on the streets. The vote is also taking place under a new election law that divides Iraq into smaller constituencies another demand of the young activists and allows for more independent candidates.

A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted earlier this year authorized an expanded team to monitor the elections. There will be up to 600 international observers in place, including 150 from the United Nations.

Iraq is also for the first time introducing biometric cards for voters. To prevent abuse of electronic voter cards, they will be disabled for 72 hours after each person votes, to avoid double voting.

But despite all these measures, claims of vote buying, intimidation and manipulation have persisted.

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SHIITE DIVISIONS

Groups drawn from Iraqs Shiite factions dominate the electoral landscape, as has been the case since after Saddam was toppled, when the countrys power base shifted from minority Sunnis to majority Shiites.

But Shiite groups are divided, particularly over the influence of neighboring Iran, a Shiite powerhouse. A tight race is expected between the political bloc of influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the biggest winner in the 2018 election, and the Fatah Alliance led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri, which came in second.

The Fatah Alliance comprises of parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly pro-Iran Shiite militias that rose to prominence during the war against the Sunni extremist Islamic State group. It includes some of the most hard-line pro-Iran factions such as the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia. Al-Sadr, a nationalist and populist leader, is also close to Iran, but publicly rejects its political influence.

Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Shiite militia with close ties to Iran, is fielding candidates for the first time.

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CALLS FOR BOYCOTT

Activists and young Iraqis who took part in the protests calling for change have been divided over whether to take part in the vote.

The 2019 demonstrations were met with deadly force, with at least 600 people killed over a period of few months. Although authorities gave in and called the early elections, the death toll and the heavy-handed crackdown prompted many young activists and demonstrators who took part in the protests to later call for a boycott.

A series of kidnappings and targeted assassinations that killed more than 35 people, has further discouraged many from taking part.

Iraqs top Shiite cleric and a widely respected authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has called for a large turnout, saying that voting remains the best way for Iraqis to take part in shaping their countrys future.

The 2018 elections saw a record low turnout with just 44% of eligible voters casting ballots. The results were widely contested.

There are concerns of a similar or even lower turnout this time.

Mustafa al-Jabouri, a 27-year-old private sector employee, says he wont vote after seeing his friends killed in the demonstrations, in front of my eyes.

I have participated in every election since I turned 18. We always say that change will come, and things will improve. What Ive seen is that things always go from bad to worse, he said as he sat smoking a hookah at a coffee shop in Baghdad. Now it is the same faces from the same parties putting up campaign posters.

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REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Iraqs vote comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, partially spurred by the Biden administrations gradual retreat from the Middle East and icy relations with traditional ally Saudi Arabia. Current Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has sought to portray Iraq as a neutral mediator in the regions crises. In recent months, Baghdad hosted several rounds of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in a bid to ease tensions.

Alshamary, the research fellow, said Arab states will be watching to see what gains pro-Iranian factions make in the vote and, conversely, Iran will look at how Western-leaning politicians fare. The outcome of these elections will have an impact on foreign relations in the region for years to come, she said.

Under Iraqs laws, the winner of Sundays vote gets to choose the countrys next prime minister, but its unlikely any of the competing coalitions can secure a clear majority. That will require a lengthy process involving backroom negotiations to select a consensus prime minister and agree on a new coalition government.

Randa Slim, of the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said Iraqs regional mediation role is al-Kadhimis achievement, a result of his success at balancing between U.S. and Iranian interests in Iraq.

If he wont be the next prime minister, all of these initiatives might not be sustained, Slim said.

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Karam reported from Beirut.

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EXPLAINER: Why do Iraq's elections matter to the world? - Associated Press

Ray Odierno salutes during his retirement ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson, August 14, 2015 in Arlington, Va. Odierno, who was the Army's 38th Chief of Staff, died on Friday, his family said. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

Ray Odierno salutes during his retirement ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson, August 14, 2015 in Arlington, Va. Odierno, who was the Army's 38th Chief of Staff, died on Friday, his family said.

Ray Odierno, the retired Army general who led U.S. troops through the Iraq War and later served as the Army's chief of staff, has died of cancer at the age of 67.

Odierno's death Friday was announced in a statement by his family, according to The Associated Press. "The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his death was not related to COVID," the family said.

Odierno, a West Point graduate, served in the military for nearly 40 years, a decorated career that included three tours of duty in Iraq.

He began the war in command of the 4th Infantry Division, helping to orchestrate the 2003 operation that resulted in the capture of the country's ousted leader, Saddam Hussein.

"He was in the bottom of a hole with no way to fight back," Odierno said at the time. "He was caught like a rat."

Despite that early success, the U.S. mission in Iraq soon spiraled out of control. When it came time for a shift in strategy, Odierno would emerge as a key figure behind the surge of some 20,000 U.S. forces in Iraq launched in 2007 to help quell a deadly insurgency and deep-seated sectarian violence. At first, the rush of forces seemed to work, but nearly 15 years later, questions about the strategy's true effectiveness continue to cloud the war's legacy.

In 2008, the New Jersey native was tapped to succeed General David Petraeus as the top commander of the multinational force fighting in Iraq. It was a decision met with some criticism, stemming from Odierno's previous command earlier in the war of forces that were seen as overly aggressive and indiscriminate in detaining military-age Iraqi men. Those operations were blamed for alienating the local population in the Sunni Triangle region and fueling the very insurgency the U.S. was trying to mitigate.

"Odierno just didn't get it," Juan Cole, a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of Michigan, told NPR in 2008 of Odierno's strategy in the early years of the war. "He didn't understand what it means to win hearts and minds. He didn't understand local culture. ... He'd have his troops go through women's underwear in the house looking for arms."

The criticism didn't stop Odierno from establishing a legacy in the Iraq War as "the guy with the plan," Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, who was Odierno's chief of staff, told the Los Angeles Times in 2008.

"This tour will, in my view, eradicate anything that was [said] before, or at least give people second thoughts about what kind of guy he really is," Anderson said. "I believe he'll be [remembered as] the architect the guy with the plan who turned this place around."

In 2011, former President Barack Obama picked Odierno to be the army's chief of staff. In that role, Odierno oversaw military decisions during the Ebola crisis, as well as the introduction of women being allowed into the Army's Ranger training program.

During his time in the position, the military was under growing scrutiny for the alarming increase in military sexual assaults. Odierno was adamant about addressing the issue. But he was firm in his stance that the process should remain within the military command structure, and resisted efforts in Congress to take sexual assault cases out of the chain of command.

"We must take a hard look at that system," he told lawmakers in 2013. "... We can't simply legislate our way out of this."

In 2015, Odierno retired from the military after more than 37 years of service.

Following news of his death, the Army shared its condolences in a message on Twitter.

"His love, respect and commitment to Soldiers & their families is his legacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," the Army said.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden called Odierno a "hero" in a statement released by the White House. Odierno had spoken at the funeral of the president's son Beau Biden in 2015 and awarded him the Legion of Merit; he was the commanding general when Beau Biden served in Iraq.

"When we think back on our time as Vice President and Second Lady, Ray was part of some of our most poignant memoriesones that will be with us for the rest of our lives," the Bidens said.

"We can think of no person who better encapsulated that basic creed of duty, honor, country than General Ray Odierno. He made our entire nation better, stronger, and more secure."

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Ray Odierno, Army general who led troops through Iraq War, dies at 67 - NPR

BETHANIA, N.C. (WGHP) Stan Lake is more than just a photographer, hes a storyteller.

Ive always enjoyed telling stories and photography is another avenue for that, said Lake, who has a passion for capturing the little things most of us dont understand. Ive always been fascinated with reptiles and amphibians, thats my first love.

The Iraq War veteran has shared stories through articles and documentaries from the sands of war to the muddy banks of North Carolina.

They call me critter getter overseas, thats my call sign overseas, he said. When you live in perpetual death it makes you think a lot about life.

His hope is his work will open peoples eyes to the value in all creation. Even the creepy crawly ones.

This time of year we have marbled salamander breeding and they kind of take shifts in their pools, he said. They are in mud puddles in the woods that you wouldnt suspect and they are teaming with life.

Hes even helping teach that value of life to kids with a number of childrens books.

Its showing kids that there are all these magical things in the woods and even in their own backyards, he said. It shows they have the power to make a difference.

A lesson in the value of all creation, even the little ones on the wild side.

My hope is people will see things in a new way to even change their perspective, he said. With snakes for example people hate them, but if you can show them in a different light that makes them beautiful maybe theyll take a second look.

For more on Lakes work, click here.

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Triad Iraq War veteran uses love of nature to teach others the value of life - WGHP FOX8 Greensboro

Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - The Iraqi parliamentary elections held on Sunday, October 10 have assigned representatives of the "Babylon Movement" up to 4 of the five seats reserved for Christian candidates by the national electoral system. This is reported by local sources consulted by Agenzia Fides, on the basis of the first data provided by the High Electoral Commission. According to the same sources, the fifth seat, assigned in the Erbil district, has been assigned to the independent candidate Farouk Hanna Atto. The electoral result regarding the number of seats reserved for Christian candidates, somewhat surprising, will not cease to reignite the controversy about the possible political manipulation to which the allocation of seats in Parliament reserved for local Christians or belonging to other ethnic and religious minorities members of the communities seems to be exposed. The Babylon Movement (in the photo, the manifesto of its candidates) was born as the political projection of the so-called "Babylon Brigades", an armed militia formed in the context of military operations against the jihadists of the Islamic State (Daesh) that led to the reconquest of areas of northern Iraq that had fallen into the hands of jihadists in 2014. Led by Ryan al Kildani (Ryan "the Chaldean"), the "Babylonian Brigades" had always claimed to be a Christian militia, although it connection to pro-Iranian Shiite militias such as the Popular Protection Units (Hashd al Shaabi) was documented. The political acronym of the "Babylon Movement" is also considered close to the "Badr Organization", a political movement that, in the elections, merged with the Fatah Alliance, a cartel that grouped the acronyms and pro-Iranian Shiite organizations. In the first critical comments, Christian politicians belonging to unions that have not obtained seats cast suspicions on the electoral result, suggesting that the votes of Shiite voters had also been diverted towards the candidates of the "Babylon Movement", so as to place in the seats reserved for Christians, representatives who in fact respond to Shiite political formations. Likewise, according to some commentators, the Christian candidate Farouq Hanna Atto, elected as an independent for the Christian seat of the Erbil district, would have prevailed over his competitors thanks to the votes cast in his favor by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK). According to the first provisional data provided by the Electoral Commission, the Babylonian Movement candidate, Aswan Salem, appears to have won the seat reserved for Christians in the Nineveh Governorate with 9,498 votes. The seat reserved for Christian candidates in the city of Baghdad appears to have been won by Evan Faeq Yakoub Jabro, former Minister of Refugees and Migration in the outgoing government of Mustafa al Kadhimi, with 10,822 votes. In Kirkuk and Dohuk, the Babylonian Movement candidates Duraid Jamil and Badaa Khader have prevailed over the others with 4,279 and 10,619 votes respectively, while candidate Farouk Hanna Atto appears to win the Christian seat in the Erbil constituency with 4221 votes. The official data released so far on the election results do not yet offer a clear picture of the future political scene in Iraq. No single political bloc will be able to control the majority of the 329 seats in Parliament alone. Various sources confirm the growth of the Sadr Party, led by the Shiite leader Muqtada al Sadr, who controlled 58 seats in the previous parliament and should have obtained at least 70 in the next parliamentary assembly. On the other hand, the parliamentary representation of the pro-Iranian Shiite parties, which are part of the Fatah Alliance, which had 48 seats in the previous parliament, is said to be declining. Only 41% of those with the right to vote have gone to the polls, the lowest number of the six parliamentary elections held in Iraq since 2003, after the end of Saddam Hussein's regime. The elections, scheduled for 2022, had been brought forward after popular protests in the fall of 2019 showed widespread discontent with the entire Iraqi political leadership, accused of corruption and mismanagement. The elections were held in a climate of general apathy, marked by calls for a boycott, also by groups involved in the popular anti-system mobilizations of 2019. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 12/10/2021)

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ASIA/IRAQ - Elections, the "Babylon Movement" obtains 4 of the 5 seats reserved for Christian candidates - Agenzia Fides

In the longer term, the two Gulf heavyweights may become gas exporters. But Egypts return to the table could be in doubt

Saudi Arabia certainly has ambitions to enter the global LNG market, Patricia Tiller, a Dubai-based partner at law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth told a Mena panel as part of the Petroleum Economist LNG to Power Forum on Monday. But she cautioned that progress would not be immediate.Plans are to export as much as 3bn ft/d by 2030, she continues. And there are whispers from the Kingdoms energy minister that the target could be brought forward to an earlier date.We have seen a lot of investment, even just in the past year, to boost the countrys gas production, Tiller notes. But, beyond that, the plans for gas exports are very much in their preliminary stages.The reason for that i

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Saudi Arabia and Iraq could join the LNG export party - Petroleum Economist