Posted on 12/14/2005 7:03:22 PM PST by Dog
It is 10 pm on the US East Coast...and 6 am December 15 in Baghdad. The Iraqi polls will be opening soon...millions of Iraqis are about to experience for the first time that rush one gets when you vote for the first time.
God Bless our troops and may god bless the voters in Iraq as they head to the polls.
Let Freedom Ring!!!
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM BUMP !!!
Just checking - Thread has been quiet for a while.
All your purple are belong to us.
Here's to a safe election day in Iraq and wise choices by the voters.
Hard to say,
Greta is reprising day time coverage of Aruban justice, MSNBC is discussing 'shameful"... whatever GWB has done lately,
and there is little to update anything else.
Maybe tomorrow there will be no car chases in California and we will be able to update ourselves on democracy.
Thanks for the thread, Dog. Just surfing around seeing if I can find any coverage.
Snapshot, election day quotes from across Iraq
15 Dec 2005 07:54:31 GMT
Source: Reuters
BAGHDAD, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Up to 15 million Iraqis vote on Thursday in a parliamentary election that will lead to formation of the first full-term government since Saddam Hussein's fall.
Following are snapshots from across the country, including quotes from Iraqi voters:
BAGHDAD - Hadi Mishaal, wounded in the back while serving in Saddam's army during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, walked for more than 2 km (more than a mile) with a crutch to vote with his wife. "I am trying to get to the voting station. I just want leaders that will help me. I have no money. I have nothing," he said. "I am voting because I hope we can have a government that will help me and give me my rights."
Across town, voters in the Sunni Arab district of Aadhamiya, home to some of Baghdad's most committed insurgents, said they wanted to regain some influence lost after the fall of Saddam. "This time it will be different for the Sunnis," said former shoe salesman Ismail al-Dulaimi. "We are voting. We now have a government that only gives jobs to Shi'ites."
MOSUL - In Iraq's third-largest city, in the north, several explosions coincided with the opening of polls at 0400 GMT, but voting was not interrupted. In November 2004, the police force in Mosul collapsed and insurgents nearly took over. The police force has slowly been rebuilt but the city remains insecure.
Ahmed Jassim, 52, said he got up at 5 a.m. and walked several kilometres to cast his ballot. "I came to vote because I want the Americans to leave Iraq. Things will be much better after they leave," he said.
Khazal Mohammed Said, 47, a sheep trader, said he had voted for former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, and also wanted the Americans to leave. "There is no Iraqi Muslim who wants a foreigner to occupy this country," he said.
Clad all in black, Kurdish woman Sharya Amar Ali, 60, waited patiently in line to vote after walking 5 km (3 miles) to the polling station. "It's important to elect a government because I want a job and jobs for my sons," she said.
KIRKUK - In the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, where Arabs, Kurds and Turkish-speaking Turkmen are all vying to show they have the biggest share of the vote, there were emotional scenes. Around 50 people in traditional Kurdish dress waited outside one voting station holding flowers. At another, Hussein Garmiyani, in Kurdish clothing, was the first to vote. He entered the booth, pricked his finger with a pin and stamped his ballot paper with blood. "I was a victim of the Anfal campaign. These past years were all years of blood and I signed for freedom with my blood," he said, referring to Saddam's campaign against the Kurds in the 1980s.
KERBALA - In the Shi'ite Muslim city of Kerbala, site of some of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines, there was a slow start to voting, in contrast to elections in January.
The most popular list in the region is the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), a group of Islamist Shi'ite parties, but others have support. "We want peace so I'll vote for National Accordance Front," said Rana Ali, 39, a teacher, referring to a largely Sunni Arab bloc.
NAJAF - In Najaf, spiritual home of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, there were long queues outside voting centres. The UIA, list number 555, was the choice of most voters. "I feel proud to take part in the election and I'll vote for 555 as it ensures rights of the Iraqi people," said Abboud Mohsin.
BASRA - Iraq's second-largest city, in the far south, is also predominantly Shi'ite and a UIA stronghold. But many said they supported former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who earned a reputation for toughness when he was in office in 2004. "I'll vote for Iyad Allawi, I expect he'll ensure security and meet our ambitions," said Abdul Satar Gabar, 38, a businessman.
FALLUJA - Despite complaints by residents that polling centres were too far from their homes, voters still turned out in good numbers in this former Sunni Arab insurgent stronghold.
"There were some mistakes. We're going to bring some vehicles to take voters to the polling centres," said Wissam Ahmed, an Electoral Commission official in Falluja.
RAMADI - Ramadi remains one of the most volatile cities in Iraq, and there was an explosion and gunfire as polls opened, but that did not deter voters. However, the head of the Electoral Commission said only 162 of the 207 voting centres in Anbar province, which includes Ramadi, had opened.
Special units formed with the help of local tribes were maintaining security at those polling stations that did open.
"I feel very happy to vote for the first time because elections will lead to the exit of occupation forces," said Gamal Mahmoud, 21, a driver.
"This is a happy day for all Iraqis," said Hamed Abbas, 35, a government employee.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BAK523236.htm
Great idea. I have some purple paint of just the right shade from an old job. I'll do likewise.
I'd hate to be a journalist. Imagine going through life looking for problems.
Reuters trying to spin the vote as the Iraqis trying to get us to leave. What a surprise.
Just glancing through, looking at the number of negative quotes (sound like Dem talking points)vs. positive ones:
NEGATIVE QUOTES: I have no money. I have nothing... government that only gives jobs to Shi'ites.... several explosions...…. . police force in Mosul collapsed and insurgents nearly took over...….. the city remains insecure…..... came to vote because I want the Americans to leave Iraq…..... Things will be much better after they leave…..... There is no Iraqi Muslim who wants a foreigner to occupy this country….....important to elect a government because I want a job and jobs for my sons...….there were emotional scenes….....there was a slow start to voting…...There were some mistakes….. happy to vote for the first time because elections will lead to the exit of occupation forces,"
SOMEWHAT BALANCED QUOTES
Despite complaints by residents that polling centres were too far from their homes, voters still turned out in good numbers in this former Sunni Arab insurgent stronghold.....……an explosion and gunfire as polls opened, but that did not deter voters
POSTIVE QUOTES
I signed for freedom with my blood," he said, referring to Saddam's campaign against the Kurds.......I feel proud to take part in the election ...…..I expect he'll ensure security and meet our ambitions,"....happy day for Iraq.....
I did the same exact thing. I had to resort to CNN coverage because Fox and MSNBC decided to do nothing but crime stories. Once Kerry came on I went to bed.
Fox news now has coverage.
According to them- things are going very well.
MSNBC online is reporting-
"Light violence doesn't seem to affect parliamentary vote turnout".
"Sunnis appeared to be turning out in large numbers — even in insurgent bastions such as Ramadi and Haqlaniyah — in an effort to curb the power of Shiite clerical parties who now control the government. Major insurgent groups had promised not to attack polling stations, and some polling centers in Ramadi were guarded by masked gunmen."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10426494/
Richard Engel reporting that so many Sunnis are voting that they are running out of ballots so they have buses to take them to other polling places where ballots are available. (Ray Nagin, listen up.)
Good News!
Thanks for the update. I am getting ready for work and didn't have time to go through the 700+ posts!
Hopefully they will have some good news coverage while I am in my car.
The power of Iraqi voters - Jihad's defeat!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.