Anbar citizens celebrate end of ballots on streets

ANBAR /Iraqi News Security forces are attempting to control the local residents of al-Anbar who went down the streets dancing and singing in celebrations over the end of the ballots in their province for fears over their safety lest security breaches should occur, a security source in Anbar said on Sunday. “Local residents broke the curfew on pedestrians and ban on traffic imposed by the Anbar Operations Command (AOC) in the cities of al-Falluja and al-Ramadi to celebrate the end of the voting in their province. The police forces are trying to control the jubilant masses lest some attacks should take place,” the source told Iraqi News. “The celebrating citizens raised Iraqi flags and chanted national slogans indicating their triumph over terrorism,” the source added. Some 19 million Iraqi voters headed for the ballot centers today (March 7) to pick 325 members of the new parliament. Ramadi, the capital city of the predominantly Sunni province of al-Anbar, lies 110 km west of Baghdad. AmR (P)/SR 1