Bombers strike in run-up to Iraq parliamentary elections

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are expected to go to the polls on Sunday for the nation’s first full parliamentary elections since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. But with violence that some see as scare tactics possibly preventing the delivery of democracy, some in Iraq wonder if the U.S. forces should be extending their stay. Yesterday on CNN Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki hinted at the possibility of asking the American military to stay in the country, but Gen. David Petraeus seems to be holding fast to the goal of an August transition.

Tom Ricks, a contributing editor to Foreign Policy magazine tells us more on what to expect from those highly anticipated elections. He writes The Best Defense blog on ForeignPolicy.com and is the author of two books on Iraq: “Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq” and “The Gamble: General Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008.”

The biggest question in many minds is what happens after the elections. Will accusations of fraud create Iran-style unrest? And how will the election’s winners bridge Iraq’s sectarian divide?