US warplanes kill over 100 in Iraq blitz

US warplanes and helicopters bombed two western villages in Iraq yesterday, killing an estimated 70 militants and 39 civilians near a site where five US soldiers died in a weekend roadside blast.

A sandstorm struck Baghdad yesterday that could delay ballot counting and the posting of final results from Saturday's landmark referendum on Iraq's constitution, which voters seem to have approved.

An official with knowledge of the election process cautioned that results reported by some provinces indicate unusually high numbers including the amounts of 'yes' or 'no' votes that still must be checked.

Officials want to make sure the referendum meets international standards and so are checking anything that looks unusual, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Sunni Arab lawmaker, Meshaan al-Jubouri, yesterday claimed fraud had occurred in the vote including instances of voting in hotly-contested regions by pro-constitution Shi'ites from other areas repeating earlier comments made by other Sunni officials over the weekend.

US President George W Bush said he was pleased that Sunni Arabs cast so many ballots in Iraq over the weekend, even though they were voting to stop the proposed constitution from being ratified.

Iraq's constitution seemed assured of passage, despite strong opposition from the Sunnis. The constitution's apparent victory was muted by the prospect that the result might divide the country further.

Asked whether the Sunni vote would damage the political process or increase the likelihood of violence, Mr Bush said the increased turnout was an indication that Iraqis want to settle disputes peacefully.