Iraq: terrorists fire election salute of bombs and one rocket launched at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Large-scale terror, night time curfew, borders sealed – marks of US-tailored democracy in Iraq?!

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad hit by rocket on eve of Iraqi elections

BAGHDAD, Iraq (from a GamblingGates.com freelancer and eyewitness of events) – A rocket exploded in the earest vicinity of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad late Saturday, local time on the eve of Iraq's landmark elections.The bomb explosion killed two Americans, a civilian and a Navy sailor, were killed in the rocket attack, who were working for the Embassy there and wounded four others. Of the four injured Americans, two were military, one was a civilian and the fourth was as yet underdetermined. This information was initially released by a U.S. Embassy official and confirmed later by another Embassy’s official and an independent source. Embassy spokesman confirmed the embassy had been attacked by a rocked, but gave no details about casualties. White House National Security Adviser Steve Hadley briefed President Bush shortly after the embassy was attacked, White House spokeswoman said Saturday afternoon. "As the president says in his radio address, the terrorists will stop at nothing to try to disrupt this election, yet, in the face of intimidation, the Iraqi people are standing firm," White House spokeswoman said. "The friends of freedom understand the stakes and will stand with the Iraqi people at this important moment in their democracy." Also on Saturday, a suicide bomber attacked a police station in a northern Iraqi town populated mainly by the Kurdish. Eight people were killed. Insurgents blasted polling places in several cities throughout Iraq on the eve of the elections in which the Iraqi president admitted many Iraqis will not vote because of fears for their lives. However, later Iraq’s president said he expected two thirds of the Iraqi voters will take part in Sunday’s elections. Even Baghdad and its suburbs do not seem to be scene for landmark elections: the Iraqi capital’s people are torpid and depressed, most of Baghdad’s traditionally crowded markets and stores were closed or empty on Saturday and Sunday.  Even in the downtown  Baghdad, stuffed with American and government military, explosions and heavy machine gun fire were heard at midday, and several heavy explosions shook Baghdad’s  central areas downtown area in the afternoon. Dozens of American fighter jets were roaring through the Baghdad’s sky. The shooting seemed to be coming from the area around the Green Zone, the heavily fortified compound housing the U.S. and British embassies and the offices of the Iraqi interim government. The Iraqi capital Baghdad and its suburbs do not seem to be scene for landmark elections: people were torpid and depressed, most of traditionally crowded markets and stores were closed or empty. 

At the moment, a night time curfew imposed across Iraq. The country’s borders sealed.