Elections dealt major blow to insurgency - Allawi

The success of the the elections dealt a major blow to Iraq’s insurgents, though they are likely to continue their attacks for some months before they are defeated, the interim prime minister said today.

Ayad Allawi said that following Sunday’s elections, activity by insurgents dropped sharply but it is still too early to conclude whether that trend will continue.

“They might be reorganising themselves and changing their plans,” Allawi said of the rebels.

In recent weeks, Iraqi and US forces have arrested what they describe as senior commanders of the al-Qaida in Iraq group, which is led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on American troops and US-trained Iraqi security forces.

Insurgents also promised to disrupt the election, but security measures were credited with minimising election day bloodshed.

“The coming days and weeks will show whether this retreat will continue or whether it is tactical because of the strike against them,” Allawi said.

“I don’t know if what happened is a decrease that will continue or will escalate, but the final outcome is that it is a failure. They will continue for months but this (insurgency) will end,” he said.

“These dark forces will not be able to succeed.”

He said that authorities had identified the location of some insurgent bases outside Iraq “but I cannot mention them now". He did not elaborate.

It was not clear if Allawi was referring to Syria. Iraqi and US officials have repeatedly said that insurgents in Iraq have received support from members of Saddam Hussein’s ousted regime who are said to be based in Syria.