Iraq poll turnout tops 60 per cent despite attacks

Times Online (UK) ^ | March 8, 2010 | Oliver August in Baghdad and Philippe Naughton

[Allegra]

Are you over there...what do you hear...?

I'm on a break in the US now, but just about ready to go back to Iraq.

I heard from many of my friends there. The days leading up to the election were bumpy and there was even incoming on some of the bigger bases (a rarity these days), but everyone reports that Election Day itself wasn't so bad. All of my Iraqi friends got out and voted and had no problems.

I'll be interested to see what the results look like, now that they're starting to vote with their heads instead of their hearts as they did the first time around.

Iraq is growing into their new democracy and the progress has been amazing.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Sounds good...I pinged you to this... WSJ has a nice piece for tomorrow:

Iraq's Remarkable Election - The strategic benefits of an emerging Middle East democracy.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

NY Times downplaying the election:

Region Unimpressed by Balloting in Iraq

[MrDem]

What’s your take on all those “Buy Dinar” websites and their claims?

[iopscusa]

The NY Times doesn’t approve of Muslims leaving the Collectivist Reservation just as their unabiding hatred of Black Conservatives.
I trust Aljazeera.net more than the NYTs crowd, compare teh reporting of the Iraqi Elections between Aljazeera and the NYTimes for an idea of how far the NYTimes as gone off the farm!

[Yardstick]

Very interesting.

[Yardstick]

They were faked to sound like mortars...

Wonder if the press left the Hotels...?

Our lazy, uncurious, liberal press makes it possible for terrorists to create the impression that violence ruled the day using nothing more than the equivalent of some cherry bombs. I wonder if they'll even bother to report that they were faked.

[Allegra]

What’s your take on all those “Buy Dinar” websites and their claims?

I've never been real sure about that. I bought a conservative amount of dinar in Baghdad back in '04, (1.2M ID for about $650) but haven't bought any since. It may yield, but Iraq also may change its currency, rendering it worthless.

I have friends who bought a lot more than that, citing the significant value jump in Kuwaiti Dinar in the early 90s.

I'm not a good speculator....I guess I'll just wait and see. :)

[Marine_Uncle]

"Quite a change."
Indeed. And most likely for the better in the long haul. At least it is for the Shia and Kurds that used to be abused so badly. Of course it yet remains to see what mix the new government will take.