Posted on 01/31/2005 6:32:54 AM PST by presidio9
On Sunday, the world witnessed crucial milestones in the advancement of freedom and the war on terror. Despite intimidating threats, Iraqis made their way to polling centers in droves throughout their nation to choose from more than 100 different slates with 19,000 candidates competing for seats in the Transitional National Assembly, the country's 18 provincial councils, and the Kurdistan National Assembly.
Overseen by the Independent Election Commission of Iraq, the first genuine, nationwide elections in generations was deemed a major success. Over 8 million determined voters turned out despite the threats and intimidation that the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his people leveled directly at the democratic process. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan lauded the bravery of the large numbers of Iraqis who exercised their right to vote, as well as those who supported the process.
"I wish to pay tribute to the courage of the Iraqi people, and to congratulate the independent Election Commission of Iraq, as well as the thousands of Iraqi election workers and monitors, on having organized and carried out elections so effectively in such a limited timeframe and such daunting circumstances," said the secretary-general.
Annan also congratulated the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) staff who, with other international electoral experts, worked to support the election.
"Security forces, both Iraqi and international, also made a notable contribution to ensuring a relatively safe and secure environment," Annan said..
Much of the success of Sunday's voting was due to the strong security plan.
Last week on Fox News Live, U.S Ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte indicated that there were "elaborate plans, that security measures are being taken by both the multinational forces and the Iraqi armed forces and police, and that I think in large parts of the country, the preponderance of the country, it will be safe for people to go and vote."
Sunday's balloting is the latest step in Iraq's journey to permanent democracy and freedom. Those elected to the transitional 275-member National Assembly will help appoint a new government to represent the diversity of the Iraqi people. This assembly will also be charged with drafting a permanent constitution that will be put to a referendum of the Iraqi people this fall. If approved, a new nationwide election will follow in December that will choose a new government under this constitution
Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi were considered strong favorites going into the voting.
Allawi called on Iraqis to work toward peace, saying, "The terrorists now know that they cannot win. We are entering a new era of our history and all Iraqis, whether they voted or not, should stand side by side to build their future."
Allawi's comments that now is a "suitable time for us to work together" were focused at the once-powerful Sunni Muslim minority, of which many did not vote.
Long-suppressed Shiite Muslims should benefit from the voting.
Allawi addressed this change of power by saying he would begin "a national dialogue to guarantee that the voices of all Iraqis are present in the coming government."
Annan pledged the help of the U.N. in facilitating the country's ongoing political transition and urged "This is a time for reconciliation on all sides". Recent statements by a number of Iraqi political leaders indicate their willingness to support this process.
Benefactors from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, such as Zarqawi, did disrupt the free elections, but to a far lesser extent than anticipated. Nine different homicide-bombers strapped explosives to their bodies and killed 35 Iraqi citizens as they attempted to exercise their right to vote.
With past actions of assassination, brutal violence, and calculated intimidation, Zarqawi recently denounced as infidels all who seek to exercise their right to vote as free human beings and added "Of democracy in Iraq, we have declared a fierce war against this evil principle."
Appearing on CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented that the Iraqis are "very pleased because they believe [the voter turnout is] better than expected. They believe that there obviously is great enthusiasm by the Iraqi people for this vote."
Rice added that the prevention of some voters getting to the polling places due to the terrorists would not hamper proper representation.
"Iraqi leaders, Shia, Kurds, others, saying that they understand the desire and the need to build one Iraq, that the constitutional process is going to be one in which all Iraqis are represented," Rice said. "And they understand what we should know, that their Sunni brethren, if they were unable to vote it was not because they did not want to vote, but because of the intimidation. So I'm sure that they will have a process moving forward that takes account of everyone's interests."
The newly elected government will have additional funding, as State Department spokesman Richard Boucher indicated Friday that the European Union pledged an additional 200 million Euros ($261 million) for Iraqi post-war reconstruction
Now that the elections are done, a new issue will emerge: the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq and their timetable for removal. In his weekly radio address on Saturday, President George W. Bush addressed the issue of the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.
"As democracy takes hold in Iraq, America's mission there will continue. Our military forces, diplomats and civilian personnel will help the newly-elected government of Iraq establish security and train Iraqi military police and other forces," Bush said. "Terrorist violence will not end with the election. Yet the terrorists will fail, because the Iraqi people reject their ideology of murder."
Sounds like "we surrender" to me. This is the tipping point, everybody is going to want to get on-board now.
I confess, I was a skeptic about a worthwhile election being held in Iraq. I posted a few things to that effect back in the fall. I didn't think it was gonna happen in any meaningful way.
Clearly, I was wrong.
Clearly any "pro-US" candidate is a Bush installation.
LOL!! Great word!
What a terrific photo montage!
Go Free Iraqis!
$crew the maggot Kennedy!
I tend to think of DU as a self-help group.
Leader: "Hi, my name is Faye, and I'm am unemployable loon"
Group: "Welcome Faye!"
Feel free to use it. I use it to refer to any liberal event, whether it be a protest, a DU thread, or the Democratic National Convention.
Damn . . . if anyone doubted your Conservative-ness before, you've just removed ALL doubt. Conservatives, unlike their Liberal opponents, admit their errors and learn from them.
I respect your honesty.
Now . . . LOL . . . get back to work. We've got a Conservative Agenda to fulfill.
Strength and Boldness...Whuppin' Lib'ral Scum!!
Ignorance is Legion...DemRATS're Sleazy BUMS!!
We fight fer FReedom...Right's never been this strong...FRee Iraq!!
Left's like pre-teens...RATS don't have a CLUE!!
Libs LOATHE our FReedoms...Ignorant Poltroons!!
Folks, Right is Winning...Socialists Dispair!! FReepers ROCK!!
These days're heady...our Fight's 'tween Wrong and Right!!
Our Noble Purpose...the World we shall Enlight!!
Right must hold firmly...'cuz FReedom's Worth the Fight!! FReedom ROCKS!!
FReepers ROCK!! RightWing's Strong 'cuz we are FRee!!
FReep Iraq!! Liberate the WHOLE MidEast!!
FRee Iraq, Sheeple Blossom When FRee...FRee Iraq!!
God is GOOD, God is Great!! In His Hands we trust our Fate!!
Reject Left's hustlers and RATS' schemes!!
Right stand proud...Right stand tall...Left's about to Fall!!!
MUD still believes in his dreams!!
(ConservativeMusician and/or the BigMan killin' it on guitar...MUD on pie-anny)
Forty years, Lord...Where'd they go?!
Forty years...I'm gittin' old!!
Still, we're fightin' against...Clinton's SCUM!!
And sometimes late at night...ohhh, when I'm FReepin' by candlelight...
The tunes come to me and All IS Right!!
And I recall...I recall....
FRee Iraq!! FReedom's the World's Fate!!
FReepers ROCK!! Shrink the Fed'ralist State!!
Like Iraq!! The World We'll Liberate...like Iraq!!
FReepers ROCK!!! Treason's why we FReep Slick!!
RATS're "shocked"...Left's arses Right Shall Kick!!
Like Iraq, the Righteous Win AGAIN...Like Iraq!!
Mudboy Slim (04/09/2003)
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