Baghdad governor slain, 5 U.S. troops killed

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The governor of the Baghdad region, known for cooperating closely with American troops, was assassinated along with six bodyguards as he drove to work Tuesday in yet another bloody day of insurgent attacks that exposed grave security flaws in Iraq with elections less than a month away.

Other assaults Tuesday killed five American troops as well as eight Iraqi commandos and two civilians, bringing the death toll in the last three days to more than 70. Despite the violence, which U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces have been helpless to prevent, American and Iraqi leaders insist the Jan. 30 vote would go forward.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan acknowledged security "challenges" in Iraq but said the election timetable would not be changed.

"For much of the country, the situation is secure enough to move forward on holding elections," McClellan said. "There are a few areas that we're continuing to work to improve the security situation, so those areas will be able to have as full a participation as possible in elections."

While it's true that many areas of Iraq are calm, there are vast regions, including the capital, that are extremely dangerous. In places like Fallujah, which was bombed to ruins in a U.S.-led campaign in November, and the northern city of Mosul, there has been little headway in preparing for the vote.

The attacks have prompted Sunni Arab clerics to call for a boycott, and Iraq's largest Sunni political party announced it was pulling out of the race because of poor security.

The country's Shiites, many of whom are in the government, want to take power but they also want the Sunnis to participate in the vote. A low turnout because of the fear of violence or a Sunni boycott could undermine the legitimacy of the country's first free elections since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958.

McClellan confirmed that President Bush spoke with interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi on Monday, but said they did not discuss postponing the vote. They focused on "some of the ongoing challenges as Iraq moves forward toward a free, democratic and peaceful future," he said.

Several Iraqi leaders, including the defense minister and the ambassador to the United Nations, have suggested a delay as a way to get Sunnis to take part, but other officials support Allawi and want the vote to be held on time.

"So far, there is no postponement ... of the elections, and they will be held on Jan. 30," Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told reporters. He acknowledged the vote will "take place under very difficult circumstances, which will be a big challenge for all Iraqis and their government."

The militant group of Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Al-Qaida in Iraq, claimed responsibility Tuesday for killing Gov. Ali al-Haidari and his bodyguards, according to a statement posted on a Web site known for carrying such claims.