Iraq Watch: October 14, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - On the eve of Iraq's crucial nation-wide referendum - which begins at 8:00 a.m. local time Saturday - on the proposed draft constitution a major blackout encompassed the capital city leaving Baghdad almost completely in the dark.

According to an Iraqi Electorial Ministry spokesman, major power lines between the northern towns of Kirkuk and Beiji, which feed into the greater Baghdad area, were sabotaged by insurgents Friday evening.

Blackouts in Baghdad and other cities throughout the country are a common occurence and inconvience in present-day Iraq due to an insufficient, out-of-date electrical grid and the countries high demand but power outages on this massive of a scale are rare.