Iraqi security forces launched a major clampdown in Baghdad on Thursday to guard against insurgent attacks as authorities prepared to publish the final results of the Dec. 15 parliamentary poll on Friday. Witnesses reported seeing an increase in the number of military and police checkpoints throughout the city. Cars were being stopped and searched, causing traffic jams, as soldiers patrolled the streets. U.S. military officials have said they expect a surge in violence across Iraq when the final election results come out. Partial results already released show the poll was dominated by the ruling Islamist alliance. In the past two days the insurgents have shown an ability to strike at will in the capital, launching bold attacks that killed at least 16 Iraqis and kidnapping two Kenyan mobile telephone engineers traveling in a heavily protected convoy. Defense Ministry officials said the two-day security operation had been launched at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Thursday. "We have set up a large number of checkpoints and we are fully prepared to provide security for our citizens," Iraqi army Brigadier Jalil Khalaf told Reuters. Khalaf, who commands forces in several hotspot areas in western Baghdad, said the operation was being carried out by the Iraqi army and police without the help of U.S-led forces. Final results, based on tallies from some 31,000 ballot boxes, will be published on Friday, Electoral Commissioner Adel al-Lamy told Reuters, saying these would be in line with the partial, provisional counts given some weeks ago.
