The Bush administration hopes to encourage more Sunni participation in Iraq’s elections with “as rigorous security procedures as possible,” according to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Armitage spoke with three Arabic language media services at the State Department in Washington January 7. He told Egypt Television’s Mohamed Elsetouchi, “Both the Iraqi forces, the Iraqi police forces, and the coalition forces are going to be doing their utmost to provide security in ways that benefit the Sunnis, particularly, and allow them to vote, should they desire.” (US Dept. of State)