The Iraqi government declared Sunday it will shut down all borders, extend curfew hours and ban travel across provincial boundaries as part of security steps to protect voters during this week's parliamentary elections.
In Najaf, Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called on followers to turn out in large numbers for the Thursday balloting, in which voters will elect a 275-member parliament to serve a full four-year term. But al-Sistani stopped short of publicly endorsing the coalition of religious Shiite parties which swept the largest number of seats in the January election.
In a fatwa, or religious edict, al-Sistani urged Shiites to vote for candidates "who can be trusted to protect their principles and safeguard their interests" in the next parliament. "Toward this objective, splitting the vote and risking its waste must be avoided," he said.
According to the AP, The Interior Ministry said the emergency measures will take effect early Tuesday and last until Saturday morning. The nighttime curfew will be extended by three hours, all international borders and airports will be closed and travel across provincial boundaries will be banned. Extra forces have been sent to Ramadi and other towns to bolster security, the ministry said.
On the ground, the U.S. command announced Sunday that an American soldier died by a roadside bombing in Baghdad. The soldier was the seventh U.S. serviceman to be killed in the Baghdad area since Thursday.
