Accessibility links

Breaking News

Largest Graveyard In Iraq Used For Election Campaign


Iraq's largest graveyard in the holy city of Al-Najaf has been widely used by election campaign managers to promote their candidates.

Correspondents from Radio Free Iraq report that the cemetery walls are covered with candidates' portraits and election posters.

Iraq's Independent Election Commission has officially defined places where the election materials cannot be placed, but Al-Najaf's graveyard, one of the largest in the world, is not one of them.

Provincial elections in Iraq are scheduled for January 31.

In 2003, the cemetery was the scene of intense fighting between U.S. forces and militants loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

-- Iraq Service/Merkhat Sharipzhanov

About This Blog

Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org

Latest Posts

XS
SM
MD
LG