Timetable unchanged on Iraq elections
Nationwide elections in Iraq “can and should” go ahead as planned, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Tuesday.
Speaking during his surprise visit to Iraq, Mr Straw said: “I believe they can and should take place by the end of January in all of Iraq”.
In northern Iraq, Mr Straw met with Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani, who lead the two main Kurdish political parties.
He also met with interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, in Baghdad.
Mr Allawi, for his part, warned rebels in Falluja and Ramadi that his government was focussed on restoring stability and peace to the war-torn nation.
“Talks and contacts are ongoing with prominent people and tribal leaders in these places and we are conveying to them our position,” he said.
“Our position is clear: People must abide by the law and put down their weapons. Otherwise the government will have to resort to force to provide peace to people”.
The Foreign Office said the diplomatic mission had been planned before British engineer Ken Bigley’s kidnapping.
But Mr Straw admitted the plight of Mr Bigley was “high” on his agenda.
Mr Straw’s visit came as US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld admitted there was no link between Saddam Hussein and the al-Qaida network.
Mr Rumsfeld said there was no “strong, hard evidence” tying the former Iraqi dictator to Osama bin Laden’s terror network – however, he later said his comments had been misinterpreted.
