U.S soldiers from Alfa company of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry prepare to conduct a house search for explosives and insurgents during a raid in Mosul. U.S soldiers from Alfa company of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry prepare to conduct a house search for explosives and insurgents during a raid in Mosul, January 17, 2005. U.S. and Iraqi forces are working together in the face of attacks across Iraq, which have raised fears of a bloodbath during the January 30 election, the first ballot since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. A total of about 300,000 U.S.-led foreign and Iraqi forces are expected to provide security on election day. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra