These elections are being made to happen on a "no matter what" basis because if they don't, it might actually start to look like 1,400+ American troopers got killed for the sake of nothing.

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Originally posted by GammaGoat:
Almost none of the candidates have been identified, for security reason, but when the new assembly meets they'll be id'd. That's when the killing will really get going.

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That's for sure.

I can't wait to see the news reports after all of this unfolds.

quote:

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Originally posted by AndJusticeForAll:
How can there be a democratic election when everything is blowing up, people are being executed in broad daylight, entire groups of people are boycotting the vote, and political cantidates are forced to wear ski masks in an effort to hide their identity?

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Yea, I think it is going to be a very unsuccessful day as far as the vote goes. I betcha our administration is going to be putting out alot of fires and dodging alot of attacks from the democrats and the press come Monday morning.

Hope not, but I guess we will find out in a few short hours.

And what was just reported on CBS News was that over 1,000 Iraqi Police uniforms were discovered missing.
This defiinitely adds a serious security breach factor if these uniforms fell into the hands of insurgents as is thought.

Damn, the 1000 uniforms, "secret" polling places being blown up, murders as usual - starting a country is a huge process and I don't think we did enough homework and prep before we went in.

Now it is what it is. I feel sorry for the whole country of Iraq. It holds a cancer and the question is can we cut out the cancer without destroying the body.

And what makes it really scary, is that the lists of the prospective politicos is written such, that the true names are withheld because of personal security reasons...
The winners will not be made public, I believe, until they actually take office...providing that they make it that far.
I hate to say it...looks like onehelluva scrap on the horizon.

You nailed it Admin/Mod.

Going into this one is like a walk into the unknown with just your skivvies on; rots a ruck if it doesn't go our way.

And another factor to worry about...
The different ethnic groups in the country...the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites, for example, and there are probably other smaller groups...have been literally 'at war' with each other for who knows how long.
Excellent basis for a 'Civil War' amongst factions...
Recall the crap in Afghanistan?

If you think about it long enough it will make your hair hurt.

Churchill once described Russia as a mystery wrapped in an enigma. If Russia was that then Iraq would be a puzzle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a contradiction fed by fanaticism and watered by the insane logic of the psychopath.

I need a drink.

Thud...
Just keep the bottle on the bar...
And the shelves stocked at the max...
Somethin' tells me we all might need 'a touch' before this finally comes down.
Make mine a 'Jaegermeister'...

I'm hearing that, apart from a few mortar attacks, things are going OK.

This just in...
With the polls closed...according to reliable news reports...an estimated 8 million Iraqi voted.
Percentage estimated were originally given at 72%...other areas posted an estimated 90%.

On a sad note, however...at least 44 Iraqis were reported killed, not counting at least 5 Iraqi Police Officers also killed.
This was the first democratic election in over 50 years...

The turnout was around 72% says FoxNews. That is outstanding. I am really happy that the elections went well, but if it sounds to good to be true it probably is. I am still waiting for the mass attacks that we kept hearing would happen.

So far, the elections are going much better than expecter. There have been no "spectacular" attacks and up to 60 percent of eligible voters voted. Perhaps this day will empower the Iraqi people to take control of their own destiny so that our troops can eventually come home.

For inspiration, look what happened in Bosnia. This was a religious conflict as much as anything, and solutions to ending the fighting seemed impossible at one time. But after several years, people got tired of fighting, and now the region is generally peaceful.

On the other hand, do people in the Middle East ever get tired of fighting?