http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145808,00.html

 

There are some attacks being reported but this seems to be going far better than most had hoped. The Iraqi people are showing some real courage today going out and voting despite insurgent threats to "wash the streets with the blood of voters". One of the most inspiring things about this was a report I heard that literally thousands of people are walking several miles in some cases to go to the polls.

 

If this election can go fairly well and they can get some good turnout then maybe Iraq can truly turn a corner.

That is a fairly encouraging report. I want to see this day go as well as anybody. And it does show an amazing amount of courage that peeople are turning out en masse, given the danger they know they are putting themselves in.

May God or Allah be with them all. I admire these people in a way. Would we do the same if our life were on the line?

Here's a good article and a timeline of everything that's happened today with the elections in Iraq so far;

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12097394-2,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145825,00.html

 

72 percent of registerd voters turned out. That's north of 8 million people. All of this in the face of death threats and bombings. I'm really glad to see that these people appreciate and are taking advantage of the opportunity to vote for the 1st time in 50 some years over there.

 

I only wish that U.S. voters appreciated their freedom to vote this much. A little rain or snow is enough to keep a good many Americans from the polls.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145825,00.html

 

72 percent of registerd voters turned out.  That's north of 8 million people.  All of this in the face of death threats and bombings.  I'm really glad to see that these people appreciate and are taking advantage of the opportunity to vote for the 1st time in 50 some years over there.

 

I only wish that U.S. voters appreciated their freedom to vote this much.  A little rain or snow is enough to keep a good many Americans from the polls.

 

I think it turns out that only 60% of voters turned out.

 

both cbc and fox report that

I see early results are showing Bush as winning the votes in Florida.

Looks like Allawi is gonna get in most likely [he's also the US picked candidate after their candidate in Ahmed Chalabi was found to be an Iranian spy]...This is pure conjecture but I wonder what would have happened if a candidate that the US did not like won the election?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145825,00.html

 

72 percent of registerd voters turned out.  That's north of 8 million people.  All of this in the face of death threats and bombings.  I'm really glad to see that these people appreciate and are taking advantage of the opportunity to vote for the 1st time in 50 some years over there.

 

I only wish that U.S. voters appreciated their freedom to vote this much.  A little rain or snow is enough to keep a good many Americans from the polls.

 

No s***. It just goes to show what a nation of spoiled little b****es we have become. We look for excuses NOT to vote. They have the threat of death over their heads and still have a higher turnout than our lame asses. Damn that pisses me off.

I think it turns out that only 60% of voters turned out.

 

both cbc and fox report that

 

 

Right you are, appears that that 72% number was an initial estimate.

Looks like Allawi is gonna get in most likely [he's also the US picked candidate after their candidate in Ahmed Chalabi was found to be an Iranian spy]...This is pure conjecture but I wonder what would have happened if a candidate that the US did not like won the election?

 

 

We would respect the result of the election and do whatever was necessary to see the new government be successful.

We would respect the result of the election and do whatever was necessary to see the new government be successful.

 

I am trying so hard not to laugh.

 

f***, didn't work.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145808,00.html

 

There are some attacks being reported but this seems to be going far better than most had hoped.  The Iraqi people are showing some real courage today going out and voting despite insurgent threats to "wash the streets with the blood of voters".  One of the most inspiring things about this was a report I heard that literally thousands of people are walking several miles in some cases to go to the polls. 

 

If this election can go fairly well and they can get some good turnout then maybe Iraq can truly turn a corner.

I really hope this day goes better then most thought. It would be such a huge step.

I am trying so hard not to laugh.

 

f***, didn't work.

 

 

Say what you want but shrill leftist monday morning QB's like you with your hypothetical bulls*** really don't carry a whole lot of weight.

Say what you want but shrill leftist monday morning QB's like you with your hypothetical bulls*** really don't carry a whole lot of weight.

 

Hypothetical. Can we discuss overthrowing "democratically elected Allende" in Chile or our interventions in Greece or what we did in Guatemala etc.? Because there are numerous times where democratically elected leaders were ousted from their positions and authoritarians whom the US liked were installed.

Hypothetical.  Can we discuss overthrowing "democratically elected Allende" in Chile or our interventions in Greece or what we did in Guatemala etc.?  Because there are numerous times where democratically elected leaders were ousted from their positions and authoritarians whom the US liked were installed.

 

 

Is something like that happening here? Thought so. Is Allawi anything like Pinochet? Thought so. Why is it that any measure of success in Iraq is downplayed and ridiculed by you and terrorist actions trumpeted about as loud as possible?

Is something like that happening here?  Thought so.  Is Allawi anything like Pinochet?  Thought so.  Why is it that any measure of success in Iraq is downplayed and ridiculed by you and terrorist actions trumpeted about as loud as possible?

 

I'm just saying I wonder if the US would continue its lip service to "democracy" by overthrowing yet another leader if the elections did not play out the way they wanted them to. And according to reports, in places like Fallujah [re: the BBC] the amount of voters seen there can be "counted on one hand"

 

It is good that the Iraqis are voting -- but just color me more than a bit cynical about how much the US and their funded "Friends of Democracy" group has to do with the election of Allawi.

I'm just saying I wonder if the US would continue its lip service to "democracy" by overthrowing yet another leader if the elections did not play out the way they wanted them to.  And according to reports, in places like Fallujah [re: the BBC] the amount of voters seen there can be "counted on one hand"

 

It is good that the Iraqis are voting -- but just color me more than a bit cynical about how much the US and their funded "Friends of Democracy" group has to do with the election of Allawi.

 

 

Oh they are entirely responsible for it. We're the ones that toppled Saddam Hussein paving the way for this election to happen in the first place.

 

This election was supposed to be a national disaster and it wasn't.

 

The Iraqi forces were supposed to be colluding with terrorists to sabotage the election and according to US commanders on the ground they stood their ground and successfully secured more than 7000 polling places nationwide.

 

The "pundits" all thought that people were going to either boycott the election entirely or be scared off by terrorists. Turnout was higher that that of the U.S. election and under far more adverse circumstances.

 

I think this is a really good day for the Middle East and for the rest of the world as well.

Edited January 30, 200521 yr by NUKE_CLEVELAND

Say what you want but shrill leftist monday morning QB's like you with your hypothetical bulls*** really don't carry a whole lot of weight.

 

History says otherwise. Maybe instead of trying to degrade me you should actually hone yourself on US history. Our nation has had many instances, some which LCR mentioned, in which we vehemently disagree with the leaders of certain countries and implant our own instead.

 

f***, calm down because I am disagreeing with you. I say something humorous which I KNOW is true, and you flip out as if I just liquidated an orphanage. Stop being so naive thinking that the US has never made any mistakes when it comes to foreign policy and you just might see the world in a completely different eye.

History says otherwise. Maybe instead of trying to degrade me you should actually hone yourself on US history. Our nation has had many instances, some which LCR mentioned, in which we vehemently disagree with the leaders of certain countries and implant our own instead.

 

f***, calm down because I am disagreeing with you. I say something humorous which I KNOW is true, and you flip out as if I just liquidated an orphanage. Stop being so naive thinking that the US has never made any mistakes when it comes to foreign policy and you just might see the world in a completely different eye.

 

I just wish you people would stop totally focusing on the negatives of what's going on out there. It seems to me that you people are hoping for bad things to happen so you can gloat about how wrong we are to be there. If you're opposed to the war and our presence there that's fine and I respect your opinions but the fact is that we're there and we're not leaving until they can handle it on their own. Maybe I would respect you guys more if every now and again you would talk about something good that's happening over there instead of zeroing in on the violence.

I just wish you people would stop totally focusing on the negatives of what's going on out there.  It seems to me that you people are hoping for bad things to happen so you can gloat about how wrong we are to be there.  If you're opposed to the war and our presence there that's fine and I respect your opinions but the fact is that we're there and we're not leaving until they can handle it on their own.  Maybe I would respect you guys more if every now and again you would talk about something good that's happening over there instead of zeroing in on the violence.

 

Up to 15 UK Personnel Die in Iraq Plane Crash

Good for the Iraqis.

 

Now lets just hope that the following weeks and months can be as good as today. Because if they aren't, an election resulting in chaos can only be bad for democracy in the middle east.

Good for the Iraqis.

 

Now lets just hope that the following weeks and months can be as good as today. Because if they aren't, an election resulting in chaos can only be bad for democracy in the middle east.

 

 

Hot damn I agree with Wino.

I just wish you people would stop totally focusing on the negatives of what's going on out there.  It seems to me that you people are hoping for bad things to happen so you can gloat about how wrong we are to be there.  If you're opposed to the war and our presence there that's fine and I respect your opinions but the fact is that we're there and we're not leaving until they can handle it on their own.  Maybe I would respect you guys more if every now and again you would talk about something good that's happening over there instead of zeroing in on the violence.

 

We learn more from the negatives of our lives, the losses, than the successes, the wins. Yeah, I liked Pat Conroy's autobiography, lol.

Hot damn I agree with Wino.

 

Nice to see that you can be right too, once in a while