Open Iraqi election thread

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Any party which wins the elections is going to have to ask the coalition to leave or else it will be seen as a puppet. The problem arises if the new government doesn't have the strength to defeat the sunni insurgents militarially yet must be seen as asking the US/UK to leave thus I predict a long time table for withdrawal filled with lots of loop holes for later back tracking.

There will be semi permanent US bases. Count on it. And the insurgency will peter out as Iraqi forces take over policing.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Jaakko


Woohoo. Aren't you the hero.

I think I'll just let the track record of US failure in Iraqi speak for itself, from the delusional optimism of early days to the return of Vietnam-esque body count politics in 2004.

The main problem you have Jacko is the assumption that the US has "failed" in Iraq. The facts on the ground tell a vastly different story. Saddam is out of power, in jail, and the Iraqi's are conducting the first fully free elections in their country in their history. The US objectives: 1) removing Saddam; and 2) installing democracy in Iraq; are achieved. So much for "failure."

[Winston]

It's kind of sad - but not totally unexpected - that some people can't seem to accept the fact that thanks to the coalition and a strong political will in certain capitals, the Iraqi people are now freer than probably anytime before in history, and what's more, each citizen now has democratic influence over their country's future. The way it shold've been decades ago, but now they're at least on the path to a better future than they could've ever hoped for if it wasn't for the U.S., mainly.

How it must suck to have been wrong all along, that's probably the main reason why a guy like Jaakko tries so hard to lay out his smoke screen.

By the way, I wonder if Saddam got a chance to vote from his cell.

Guard: - Here's your ballot and a pen, Mr. Hussein.
Saddam: Huh?
Guard: Your ballot for the election.
Saddam: What's the matter with you, can't you talk plain Arabic. "Ballot"! What kind of person needs a "ballot"? And the erection... well that's personal. None of your business, hrmph!

[lord of the mark]

"Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim Jaafari, a senior Shiite leader, has warned that a civil war could erupt if US troops leave the country. Mr Jaafari, considered a candidate for the post of prime minister in the government that emerges from Sunday’s historic elections, said there were too many dangers for Iraq to set a date on US-led foreign troops leaving.

"Despite their presence here in Iraq, terrorism exists," Mr Jaafari told AFP. "Can you imagine what will happen if we ask them to leave? This could mean the beginning of a civil war."
He added: "We are trying our best not to have a civil war but if the multinational forces leave now, certainly there will be more and more assassinations, bombings and victims."

Mr Jaafari is head of the Hezb al-Dawa al-Islamiyya (Islamic Call Party), part of the fundamentalist United Iraqi Alliance that was supported in the election by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the spiritual leader of Iraqi Shiites.

Mr Jaafari said the new government had to embrace Sunni Muslims even though many parties rejected the elections and the Sunni turnout was low in many areas. "It is true some Sunni powers boycotted the elections, but they did so without killing anyone or threatening anyone. Everybody is welcome and this is democracy.

"We cannot fly with one wing. We have to reach out to them and accommodate them," said Mr Jaafari, who added he would be ready to take over from Iyad Allawi as prime minister if asked.

"There must be a kind of balance between the three main posts: the president, the prime minister and the head of the parliament. "The next prime minister will probably be a Shiite, while the president and the head of the parliament are a Sunni and a Kurd," respectively.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Winston
It's kind of sad - but not totally unexpected - that some people can't seem to accept the fact that thanks to the coalition and a strong political will in certain capitals, the Iraqi people are now freer than probably anytime before in history, and what's more, each citizen now has democratic influence over their country's future. The way it shold've been decades ago, but now they're at least on the path to a better future than they could've ever hoped for if it wasn't for the U.S., mainly.

How it must suck to have been wrong all along, that's probably the main reason why a guy like Jaakko tries so hard to lay out his smoke screen.

By the way, I wonder if Saddam got a chance to vote from his cell.

Guard: - Here's your ballot and a pen, Mr. Hussein.
Saddam: Huh?
Guard: Your ballot for the election.
Saddam: What's the matter with you, can't you talk plain Arabic. "Ballot"! What kind of person needs a "ballot"? And the erection... well that's personal. None of your business, hrmph!

'BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) did not vote in Iraq (news - web sites)'s historic election but he could have done if he had turned up at a polling station, officials said on Tuesday.


The former dictator was eligible to vote as an Iraqi citizen with no criminal record. Despite being accused of crimes against humanity and genocide, he has not been convicted.


"If Saddam had wanted to vote he would have been entitled to do so but he would have had to go to a polling station in person," said Farid Ayar, spokesman for Iraq's Electoral Commission.


There was no system for absentee voting in Iraq in Sunday's election, though many Iraqis living abroad cast ballots.


The U.S. military, which is holding Saddam in a camp near Baghdad airport, confirmed that the ousted ruler had not voted. '

[Odin]

Originally posted by Ned

I suppose also that you were in favor of the South seceding in 1861 for the same reason?

Nedaverse alert...

[Ned]

Originally posted by Odin


Nedaverse alert...

You know, Odin, the farcical thinking of the left is constantly exposed by illustrating their inconsistencies and hypocrisies. You justify the Sunni boycott and insurrection because they will be a minority in the new government, but at the same time I am sure you did not support the South's boycotts and secession in 1861 for the same reason. Your clarity of thought on matters political is as clear as a morning's sun through a thick fog.

[Ned]

I thought I heard this yesterday on the news. I have not been able to find a link to confirm. But Peters Jennings has been especially harsh on the state of Iraq in the past week, and basically said the elections would change nothing. He tried to get an interview with Allawi. Allawi refused, and told him to go pound sand with all his negativism.

Is this story true?

[BlackCat]

Probably. And why not ? Are journalists always granted the rigth to do interviews despite their demonstrated stupidity ?

[lord of the mark]

an iraqi policeman who gave his life to protect a polling place

[Spiffor]

Such a dedication is amazing

[Kidlicious]

Such stupidity is amazing.

Anyway, I can't believe that I've missed this thread this whole time.

IMO, this election is not a turning point. There is still 60% unemployment in Iraq. It's a complete disaster. Most people probably voted in the hopes of new leadership that whould do things the exact opposite from the way Bush is doing it.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Such stupidity is amazing.

You mean, hurling yourself at a guy you (rightly) identify as a suicide bomber before he reaches a crowd, and then push him far enough so that he can't kill any of the civilians under your protection?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kidicious

IMO, this election is not a turning point. There is still 60% unemployment in Iraq.

"Iraq unemployment drops despite violence

Amman, Jordan, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Despite Iraqi violence, the nation's unemployment rate dropped to 26.8 percent during 2004's first half, compared with 28 percent at the end of 2003.

Amman's daily al-Ghad quoted the chief of the Iraqi Central Statistics Department Mehdi al-Alak as saying Saturday the high rate of unemployment was due to unstable political, economic, social and security conditions."

[DinoDoc]

LOTM: teh pwnr