Reply #38: At Least 9 Iranians Killed in Pre-Election Violence

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran13jun13,0,4954592.story?coll=la-home-headlines

At Least 9 Iranians Killed in Pre-Election Violence
By Nahid Siamdoust and John Daniszewski, Times Staff Writer


TEHRAN, Iran -- Four blasts in the Iranian city of Ahvaz and two more in the capital killed at least nine people and wounded more than 70 Sunday, just five days before the nation's presidential election.

The rare outbreak of violence caught the country by surprise, and Iranian officials alleged that bombers had come from Iraq to disrupt Friday's balloting. Voters will be deciding who will succeed President Mohammad Khatami and guide the nation through a series of difficult challenges.

In recent months, Iran has come under renewed international pressure over its nuclear program. And with U.S. forces fighting insurgents in neighboring Iraq, it fears that instability could seep across its border. With the presidential vote approaching, Iranian officials are concerned that low turnout could undermine the Islamic establishment at home and weaken its position in negotiations over its atomic program.

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Sunday's deadliest bombs were aimed at government buildings in Ahvaz, the capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province in the southwest of the country. The city is situated just 83 miles from Basra, Iraq, across the Shatt al-Arab waterway.
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