Yawar openly worried about whether a meaningful poll could be held amid escalating violence. A source close to the interim government in Baghdad said the concerns have prompted both Yawar and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to favor postponement -- at least in private. "(They) won't say so publicly because they're afraid of embarrassing Bush," the source said. Wednesday, Allawi vowed to stick to the Jan. 30 timetable saying Iraqis would have to overcome their fears. Analysts including Diamond and Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution say a one-time postponement could be useful if tied to a specific agreement that could bring Sunnis back into the political process. Secular insurgents could be induced to join the political process if elections allowed their communities to have regional representation in a new transitional government, Diamond said. --More 2332 Local Time 2032 GMT
