Security threats are a key concern in Iraq's Sunni areas, where ISIS continues to carry out sporadic attacks on civilians and members of the security forces.
Recent attacks by the insurgents include the killing of an Iraqi parliamentary candidate in early May and two policemen guarding an oilfield facility, among others - violent attempts at further destabilising the country ahead of Saturday's parliamentary elections.
Last month in an audio message the group's spokesman Abu Al Hassan Al Muhajer threatened to target polling stations.
"We warn you, Sunnis of Iraq, of these people [Shiites] taking power. Polling stations are a target for us, so stay away from them," he said.
__________
Read more:
Iraq elections 2018: country readies for first polls since end of ISIS war
Iraq vice president says elections alone will not solve the country’s problems
Comment: We have not yet seen the full impact of ISIS sleeper cells coming back to life
Displaced Iraqis return to destruction and death ahead of elections
__________
Despite the hollow warning, Iraq's Sunnis are likely to continue bearing the heaviest brunt of all, even as the four-year battle against ISIS is seemingly coming to its end.
A fraught relationship with Baghdad's Shia-majority government could perpetuate the Sunni community's widespread sense of hopelessness.
But Iraq's security forces have vowed to protect the country's polling stations, confident in their ability to provide the utmost security, including a nation-wide strategy, with particular focus on the more vulnerable Sunni-majority areas.
Brigadier Gen Abdul Karim Al Khafaji, a spokesman for the Iraqi military in Diyala province, told The National that a curfew will be set in place in the eastern governorate and the roads that lead into urban areas will be closed. In addition, motorcycles will not be allowed to transit and only cars with security clearance will be able to move inside the city.
The polling stations, he said, will be heavily manned by members of the military and the police.
“We have finished all logistical preparation for the election day,” said Brig Gen Al Khafaji, confident that ISIS will not jeopardise the voting. “We have everything under control, we had a great victory against the terrorists, and they cannot do anything in the future beside empty threats, which is a cry out of desperation.”
__________
Read more:
Iraq still fighting ISIL, Abadi admits
Iraq elections 2018: Will Haider Al Abadi be re-elected?
Iraq elections 2018: military and diaspora begin casting their votes
Four killed in ISIL suicide attack on Iraq party HQ
__________
Last month the spokesman for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that the committee had finalised the voting process for displaced Iraqis in the provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh, Salahuddin and Anbar.
According to Karim Tamini, polling stations will open close to displaced people's camps and individuals who have been unable to access their voting cards will be able to vote by providing personal ID, state food stamps, passport or any other form of identification.
Despite government reassurance, Sunni civilians remain wary of Baghdad and don't trust that elections will change much for them.
Abu Omar, a 40-year-old displaced man, appeared disenchanted with the political elite.
“The candidates started to knock on our doors for the past month for our votes, but for the coming four years it will be our turn to knock on their doors, which their bodyguards will never allow us to get close to," said the father-of-five.
“Let’s say I voted ... who will guarantee that we’ll not face any consequence if I go back to my village," he said. "At the end of the day the Sunnis are the ones who will pay the price."
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The%20specs
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Company%20profile
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The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Wallabies
Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Read more about the coronavirus
More on animal trafficking
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
WITHIN%20SAND
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5