 Gunmen in police uniform on Sunday ambushed a car carrying a prominent female Shiite candidate in this month's general election, but she escaped injury when her bodyguards returned fire, one of her aides said. Salama al-Khafaji was traveling in central Baghdad when gunmen opened fire about 1 p.m. from a car and a motorcycle, according to the aide, Sheik Fateh Kashf al-Ghataa, who riding with her. Their security guards returned fire and the gunmen fled. The attack was the second attempt on al-Khafaji's life since May, when gunmen ambushed her convoy as she headed back to Baghdad from the holy Shiite city of Najaf south of the capital. Her son and one of her bodyguards were killed in that attack. Al-Khafaji is running on a mostly Shiite ticket that enjoys the tacit support of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq (news - web sites)'s top Shiite cleric. The ticket is expected to secure a comfortable victory in the landmark ballot. Al-Khafaji was one of three women in the U.S.-appointed, 25-member Iraqi Governing Council set up to help the Americans run the country until an interim government was installed in June. She is currently a member of an unelected chamber that oversees the work of the interim government. | You go, girl! And hooray for loyal bodyguards... |
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