A great day in Iraq - One ballot at a time, a festive people repudiate the terrorists (great read)

Post-Gazette ^ | December 18, 2005 | Jack Kelly

[Former Military Chick]

The first person to vote in Babylon in the Iraqi parliamentary election was 65-year-old Jasim Hameed, who is wheelchair-bound.

"I'm here at this early hour because I want to challenge the terrorists who want to kill the democratic process in Iraq and I want to encourage the healthy people to vote," Mr. Hameed said.

Because Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, threatened to kill those who cast ballots, Mr. Hamid was risking his life.

In a communique issued on election eve, Zarqawi vowed to "ruin the democratic wedding of heresy and immorality."

The threats were not idle. The police in Babil province caught two brothers with 72 mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). They planned to plant them on the ways to the polling stations, according to an Iraqi correspondent on the scene.

Despite the threats, turnout was so great the hours for voting had to be extended in many places to accommodate people waiting in line.

Early estimates are turnout approached two-thirds of registered voters. That's higher than it had been for the election of an interim parliament in January or for the referendum on the constitution in October, and much higher than it usually is for U.S. presidential elections.

Turnout was higher chiefly because of a massive turnout among Sunni Muslims, many of whom had boycotted the first two elections.

"It's the first time I have tasted the freedom to express my view," Asmeal Nouri, 60, a Sunni Arab living in Kirkuk, told a reporter for Reuters.

And despite the threats, the mood of Iraqi voters was festive, said W. Thomas Smith Jr. in his National Review Online column Thursday.

[Former Military Chick]

Early estimates are turnout approached two-thirds of registered voters. That's higher than it had been for the election of an interim parliament in January or for the referendum on the constitution in October, and much higher than it usually is for U.S. presidential elections.

[Pikachu_Dad]

And they all voted, 100%, for Sadam... Right? Right? Right?

Oh, you mean they didn't?

I thought he was beloved over there. Isn't that why the Democrats sent their top gun over their to defend him?

Didn't he win his last election with 100% of the vote and a 100% turnout. How could somebody so beloved not get a single vote?

Surely Ramsey Clark voted for him?

[wayoverontheright]

This vote represents the death-blow to al-Qaida in Iraq. Withdrawal of ground troops will become viable soon, then al-Qaida's last hope, THE FIFTH COLUMN WITHIN AMERICA, will lose its only implement with which to scuttle our mission: the death of American soldiers.

Hopefully, we will leave a small strike force and our air assets in place, in order to deal with the next fronts in this war, Syrian and Iran.

[billorites]

Heaven!
Sunni's went big for Pat Buchanan!

[hsalaw]

"The police in Babil province caught two brothers with 72 mines and IEDs"

An additional piece of good news is hidden in this sentence: "the police" = the IRAQI police. Very nice to see how competent and vigilent they've become. Now we just have to give them enough time and support to ensure they are sufficiently invested in their own country's security that they won't be tempted to fractionalize.

[manwiththehands]

Early estimates are turnout approached two-thirds of registered voters. That's higher than it had been for the election of an interim parliament in January or for the referendum on the constitution in October, and much higher than it usually is for U.S. presidential elections.

And I'll bet they didn't need to be bribed with crack cocaine, either. Don't tell the 'Rats, but democracy is not cheap. Every Iraqi who voted are heroes along with our troops.

Now we'll wait and see if Iraq can accept the results and move forward.

[Parmy]

Support is the big question. It was the lack of support by the Democrats withholding funding to the S. Vietnamese that cause their downfall and losing to the North. And, that resulted in a couple million people being slaughtered and thousands sent to re-education camps.

[Former Military Chick]

PING

[Candor7]

"And despite the threats, the mood of Iraqi voters was festive, said W. Thomas Smith Jr. in his National Review Online column Thursday."

[MEG33]

Iraqi Freedom Bump!

[ChadGore]

I love the smell of victory in the morning. :)

[Freee-dame]

It was the lack of support by the Democrats withholding funding to the S. Vietnamese that cause their downfall and losing to the North.

A fact that some Dems still boast of proudly.

[DoughtyOne]

Despite the threats, Iraqis voted.

Absent threats, the MSM decided not to herald this event.

The MSM, getting it wrong generation after generation!

[wouldntbprudent]

photos of the lines at the polling places ---

http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/JY8xs3uG

[Calpernia]

The first person to vote in Babylon in the Iraqi parliamentary election was 65-year-old Jasim Hameed, who is wheelchair-bound.

"I'm here at this early hour because I want to challenge the terrorists who want to kill the democratic process in Iraq and I want to encourage the healthy people to vote," Mr. Hameed said.

[ASA Vet]

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[beyond the sea]

Nice!

[Billthedrill]

BTT. We're going to have to have a private party, because the MSM has officially declared this a non-event.