Pentagon: al-Qaeda trying to affect elections through insurgent violence

Celebration following the bombing of a British consulate vehicle in Basra, October 16

THE Pentagon's chief spokesman today attributed the rising violence in Iraq to attempts by al-Qaeda to influence the US elections and stir up opposition to President George W. Bush.

Eric Ruff, the Pentagon press secretary, stopped short of saying that al-Qaeda wanted a Democratic victory in the November 7 elections and denied emphatically that he was implying that.

He singled out a Washington Post report quoting a local al-Qaeda leader as saying the group's leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, wanted redoubled attacks "to have a great effect on the American elections".

"It would seem that if they can increase the violence, they can increase opposition to the war and have an influence against the president," Mr Ruff said.

Escalating sectarian and insurgent violence in Iraq and the seeming inability of Iraqi and US forces to check it have fuelled criticism in Washington that the administration's Iraq strategy is not working.

So far this month, 96 US servicemembers have lost their lives in Iraq, making it the deadliest month for the US military in a year and approaching all-time highs reached in 2004 during major battles for Fallujah.

Mr Ruff said there were other explanations for the spike in violence, including heightened insurgent activity during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and stepped-up US military operations in Baghdad.

But he cast the struggle as a "battle for the hearts and minds of the American people".

From the Daily Telegraph (Australia)