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Four-day shutdown for Iraq referendum
 Iraq prepared to seal itself off from the outside world and clamp down on movement around the country to ward off threats from insurgents bent on wrecking a referendum on a new constitution. Iraqi detainees and hospital patients began to cast their ballots, two days before the rest of 15.5 million people get their say on the proposed charter for post-Saddam Iraq.Announcing the nationwide lockdown, Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said frontiers would be closed from midnight until Sunday. Businesses were closed for a four-day public holiday and private vehicles will be banned starting midnight tonight. Aside from the armed conflict, a U.S.-brokered deal to defuse Sunni political opposition achieved at least a split in the "No" camp by winning endorsements for the charter from some - in return for a pledge to consider amendments after the vote. Posted by: Fred 2005-10-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=132155 |