Iraq is looking more and more like a civil war zone.

While the U.S. is getting ready to send 1500 more troops to help secure the
vote, numerous details are coming in about the day of violence around Iraq.

From the
AFP

New violence erupted in Iraq as clashes between supporters of radical
Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr and locals in the holy city of Najaf left five
dead, while the United States said it would send 1,500 more troops to help
during planned Iraqi elections.

“Five people were killed, some of them are followers of Sadr, and seven
others were wounded in the clashes,” said Saheb al-Amiri, general secretary of
Shahid Allah (God’s Martyr), an organization linked to Sadr’s movement.

From Reuters

On Wednesday, dozens of insurgents ambushed police in a Sunni district of
Baghdad in broad daylight.

“It was raining bullets,” said a police official.

Police said 10 civilians and three policemen were killed.

From the AP

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Clashes erupted between rival Shiite groups across the
Shiite-dominated south Wednesday, threatening Iraq with yet another crisis at
a time when politicians are struggling to end a constitutional stalemate with
Sunni Arabs.

ADVERTISEMENT [Blocked Ads] The confrontation in at least five southern
cities — involving a radical Shiite leader who led two uprisings against U.S.
forces last year — followed the boldest assault by Sunni insurgents in weeks
in the capital.

Dozens of insurgents wearing black uniforms and masks attacked Iraqi police
in western Baghdad with multiple car bombs and small-arms fire that killed at
least 13 people and wounded 43, police said.

There are still numerous reports coming in but it appears that the little
stability the region had is now non-existent. Iraq’s parliament is scheduled to
vote on the draft constitution tomorrow and as this violence continues it
appears more likely that it will not happen. This is further evidence that our
own current policies in Iraq are failing miserably and doing so at the cost of
billions of dollars and lives of American soldiers.