ethnic and sectarian lines, he said

Iraqis to vote in al Qaeda’s last stronghold

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) An election in two days in Iraq most violent province, where al Qaeda and other insurgents are making a last stand, could bring Sunni Arabs uk canada goose back into power and ease resentment that has canada goose clearance fueled the bloodshed.

The stakes are high in Nineveh in the north, an ancient battleground between rival ethnic and religious groups, which is majority Sunni Arab but some of which Kurds claim as their own.

Sunni Arabs boycotted Canada Goose sale the last provincial polls in Canada Goose Online 2005, leaving them with only 10 out of Nineveh 41 council seats, despite making up 60 percent of the population. Kurds control 30 seats, despite being just a quarter of the Canada Goose Parka population.

The imbalance has helped feed an insurgency mounted mostly by Sunnis, who dominated Iraq under Saddam Hussein. They are expected to canadian goose jacket turn out in large numbers to cheap Canada Goose elect the 37 council uk canada goose outlet seats being contested this time.

While much of the country canada goose uk black friday enjoys its best security in years, Nineveh is struggling to shake off a canada goose determined insurgency.

On Thursday, a Sunni candidate in the provincial canada goose factory sale capital Mosul, Hazem Salem Ahmed, was gunned down in front of his home, at least the second candidate to be killed there.

Al Qaeda regrouped in canadagooseparks Nineveh in 2007 after being driven out of former strongholds in Baghdad and western Iraq.

A woman and a child walk in front of torn election campaign posters buy canada goose jacket of a candidate in Mosul, 390 Canada Goose Outlet km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, January cheap canada goose sale 29, canada goose coats on sale 2009. military intelligence for Nineveh. is al Qaeda last stand.

SUICICE BOMBERS MAY ATTACK The streets of Mosul, a ruined city home to two thirds of Nineveh 2.6 million inhabitants, are lined with rubble and Canada Goose online flanked by bombed out or half finished buildings.

Power comes on four hours a day. Raw sewage spews into the Tigris river. On canada goose black friday sale one street, children played by a flock of sheep grazing on a festering pile of trash.

hope canada goose uk outlet the elected will take care of us and not just make empty promises, said Satar Ibrahem al Dabbagh, who runs Mosul al Salaam hospital. need medicines, equipment, vaccines.

Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki, speaking to local officials and tribal leaders on a visit to Mosul, blamed the Canada Goose Coats On Sale poor cheap canada goose uk state of buy canada goose jacket cheap Mosul services on the relentless violence and called for wide participation in Saturday vote to bring citizens together.

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will send a message to those who think Iraq is divided along. ethnic and sectarian lines, he said.

Some in Nineveh see past such differences. from Kurdistan and I have never felt canada goose store unwelcome here, said Omar Salam, a young soldier. officials say a dozen other groups, including secular nationalists or remnants of Saddam Baath party, are fighting in Nineveh in addition to al Qaeda.

Neal said they may stay quiet so as not be seen to be thwarting a return of Sunni canada goose uk shop Arabs to power in Nineveh.

One party hoping for success is al Hadba, a new Canada Goose Jackets bloc that canada goose coats includes former Baathists. canada goose clearance sale occupation but also against violence. He is likely to do well.

Nujaifi accuses Kurdish Peshmerga fighters of intimidation.

the Kurds realize they are losing power, they are not going to be reasonable. They will want to hold on, he said.

Others in Mosul are disturbed by such rhetoric.

talks of ridding Mosul of Kurds. That would be ethnic cleansing, said Mosul Mayor Abdul Aziz al Aaraji, part of the Shabak minority. he wins, he have to work with Kurds.