Polls Close in Iraq Elections, No Major Violence

Fox News/AP ^ | 1-31-09

[STARWISE]

Iraq's provincial elections have wrapped up without any reports of serious violence.

Polls closed at 6 p.m. (10 a.m. EST) on Saturday — an hour later than planned — after millions of voters cast ballots for influential regional councils around most of Iraq. There were no reports of major violence.

Iraqi authorities imposed a huge security operation around the country that included traffic bans in major cities and extensive checkpoints and surveillance posts. The U.S. military also was out in force but did not take a direct role in the election security.

[STARWISE]

~~~~~

From our FReeper in Iraq, Allegra:

"I didn't bring my camera to work and I was regretting it when some of our colleagues stopped by early in the afternoon to show off their purple fingers.

One of my closest Iraqi friends rubbed some of her purple on to my finger so that I could stand in solidarity with them. Then a bucnh of other Americans started doing the same and getting the Iraqis to rub their index fingers on theirs so they could have some purple too."

~~~~

Thank you, God bless you for this historic progress to freedom:

Pres. George W. Bush and our awesome military, devoted contractors and freedom-loving Iraqis!

[nmh]

Thanks to Bush this is a reality there.

Kudos to GWB for completing this honorable mission.

[G8 Diplomat]

Mabruk (Congrats) Iraq!

I like the idea of dipping you finger in paint after voting. It helps prevents voter fraud. I remember in the 2005 elections something like 70% of the population came out to vote, despite roadside bombs and insurgents. Whereas here, less than half vote with nothing stopping them.

[STARWISE]

~~~PING!

[Earthdweller]

BTTT!!

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

“Nothing accomplished.”

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Leftists and their tools in the Democrat party? And yet, they’re lies are winning.

[mort56]

Iraq's provincial elections have wrapped up without any reports of serious violence.

Bush's Fault!

[bray]

This is worth 20% approval ratings. Allowing oppressed people the chance to breath freedom. God Bless President George W Bush.

How many intellectuals told us that Mooselips couldn’t handle democracy?? One dumb chimp thought otherwise.

Pray for W, Our Troops and Iraq

[Edgewood Pilot]

Wow great news ! Thanks for your talents and time in sharing the info !

[tiredoflaundry]

Awesome!

[Kaslin]

Thanks for the report.

[Loyalist]

Isn’t it a shame that we can have more confidence that this Iraqi election was free and fair than we can about the last presidential election?

[jimbo123]

Freedom bump!

[Allegra]

The Iraqis are out there celebrating tonight and we can hear them. Sounds of horns honking and groups of people singing are drifting in from outside the wire.

But they're much more laid back about it now than they were four years ago. They are out on the streets partying which they did not dare do four years ago.

I am continuously amazed at the rapid progress I see here and it is all due to not tiring, not faltering and not failing.

I don't want to wash this purple bit off of my finger, but I have to take a shower. LOL

[4integrity]

“Isn’t it a shame that we can have more confidence that this Iraqi election was free and fair than we can about the last presidential election?”

Great observation! ...and, still in question in Minn. Senate election.

[Allegra]

Mabruk (Congrats) Iraq!

I've been telling them, "Tahaneena!"

[STARWISE]

Speech To American Heros Baghdad Iraq - Thanksgiving Day, 2003

"The regime of Saddam Hussein is gone forever."

Thank you. I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere. Thank you for inviting me to dinner. Gen. Sanchez, thank you, sir, for your kind invitation and your strong leadership. Ambassador Bremer, thank you for your steadfast belief in freedom and peace.

I want to thank the members of the Governing Council who are here, pleased you are joining us on our nation's great holiday, it's a chance to give thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings we receive.

[STARWISE]

~~Pres. Bush never wavered, never faltered .... PING!

[STARWISE]

Yay .... fantastic! Thank you for your relentless devotion to seeing this through to this day. God bless you and all your Iraqi friends.

[hdbc]

Congrats to the Iraqi people.
God bless George Bush. The first 10 days of Obongo has been a disaster already. We’re so screwed.

[G8 Diplomat]

Is that Iraqi dialect?

[hoosiermama]

God bless you Allegra, and all your fellow workers.

[avacado]

"This is worth 20% approval ratings. Allowing oppressed people the chance to breath freedom. God Bless President George W Bush. How many intellectuals told us that Mooselips couldn’t handle democracy?? One dumb chimp thought otherwise."

What I cannot stomach is Obama, especially at his Berlin speech, talking about freedom for the oppressed around the world, and then slamming Bush, our military, and the entire Iraq effort.

Bush: 50 million liberated from brutal oppressive regimes.

Obama: 0 liberated.

[bray]

We and Iraq had the honor of witnessing a Great Man accomplish Great Things.

Pray for W, America and Our Troops

[bray]

Avacado, you don’t get it. They want to form brutal oppressive regimes. Guess who they want to oppress? When you figure that out you will understand the rest of obamism.

Pray for America, Our Troops and obama’s Guidance

[avacado]

Not one single mention of Iraq's elections on CNN’s main page or their WORLD report page. Disgusting!

[Allegra]

Is that Iraqi dialect?

Yes. "Tahaneena" is how they say "congratulations."

In the Gulf region, they say a lot of words completely differently from the Lebanese/Egyptians/Jordanians.

Bukhara = bacher
Cam = biesh
maa = mai

And so on...I don't even know much of the Lebanese dialect, but I know then when I speak Arabic to someone from that region, they always remark that I clearly learned my Arabic "in the Gulf - probably Iraq." LOL

[Zeppelin]

This is worth 20% approval ratings. Allowing oppressed people the chance to breath freedom. God Bless President George W Bush.

"What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right."

I think that's as true today as ever it's been.

[G8 Diplomat]

LOL. Thanks for the info. I have a book on Iraqi dialect; hearing the K pronounced as a Ch is going to take some getting used to. Further south in the Gulf they pronounce a J like a Y. That really confuses things!

[4integrity]

Oh, Star...thank you for the wonderful pictures.....I’m all teary eyed....again.

[STARWISE]

Yep ... henceforward known as the good old days.

[stentorian conservative]

Outstanding thread.

Thank you for posting it and putting a genuine smile on my face.

[mimaw]

When will someone come along and give us fair elections?

[STARWISE]

My pleasure .. it’s a good day for freedom and for us.

[popdonnelly]

Nice to see an election where hope and change are not campaign gimmicks.

[Yardstick]

This must be very gratifying for President Bush. This is a huge sign of success in Iraq and it wouldn’t have happened without him.

I wonder if Obama will be able to muster anything more than the most perfunctory statement in recognition of the successful elections. Will the great Orator be willing to speak about this very important thing? Will the great Unifier be able to acknowledge the work of his Republican predecessor? Can the great Healer of rifts between America and the Islamic world — the great Apologizer — recognize that Bush has done a good thing for the people of Iraq? Or is the great Hope too cowed by his left wing to say anything beyond the perfunctory.

[Humal]

Outstanding! Do you think the media will give credit to Pres. Bush or the other one??

[JrsyJack]

I hear that one of the candidates, Mahlmout Al-Franken, is challenging the results and demanding a recount.

[freema]

STARWISE’s Post #1.
Allegra, your comments in that post made me cry.

It took several moments to make this ping work, I can’t see.

[Pinkbell]

Wonderful! God bless the Iraqis, U.S. troops, and George Bush!

[bray]

His silence is deafening.

Pray for America and Our Troops

[jveritas]

Liberals can now forget everything about Iraq and for sure they will not mention any good news there and that we have won the war.

[Steven Tyler]

Thank you United States Armed Foreces, National Guard, and all other Americans who served in Iraq.

Thank you George Bush!

[tomnbeverly]

Amazing... and Obama is silent? Isn’t this a celebration day for America as well? You would think our President should have something to say...

Oh sorry he is busy scolding anyone making a profit and attempting to destroy our Freedom...

Maybe some day some country will come and rescue us from our coming oppression....

[lonestar67]

God Bless President Bush for his stalwart stand for what is right.

Its hard to imagine what Iraq would be like five years later with Saddam still leading. He would certainly have been collaborating with Al Qaeda. He certainly would have continued with collaborating with anti Israel terrorists. He would have continued assembling dangerous weapons programs. He would have continued to oppress, torture, and dehumanize the people of Iraq.

It is a moral outrage that this not more universally applauded. Those who opposed the Iraq war— Obama— are pro Saddam, pro torture, and pro genocide.

[USMCPOP]

Thank you, Allegra. I prefer a “boots on the ground” opinion. I have a lot invested in their success, having lost my elder son a few days before the previous election. They must succeed! I dimly recall saying something like that to the Iraqi ambassador to the U.S. when I met him last year.

I can only hope that they take this opportunity for freedom and make it work.

[tomnbeverly]

The Republicans weekly radio response to the Democrats Better include a mantra of how this would never have been possible if it was not for the Steadfast resolve of President BUSH even though he faced harsh political opposition.

[Kitty Mittens]

President Bush Bump! Thank You, our Lord in Heaven, for All You Accomplished through this Man!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It’s Wonderful!