Iraq Sets Election Date But Unrest Threatens Poll

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq (news - web sites) chose Jan. 30 for its first democratic election in decades on Sunday, but violence in Sunni Muslim areas underlined the challenge of holding polls on time.



According to Iraq's timetable for democracy, polls must be held by end-January for a transitional parliament that will pick a new government and oversee the writing of a constitution.


"The Electoral Commission set the date of Jan. 30 as the date of the election," spokesman Farid Ayar told Reuters.


Iraq's Shi'ite majority, which was long oppressed under Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and hopes the election will cement its influence, is insisting that the polls be held on schedule.

more:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041121/wl_nm/iraq_dc&cid=574&ncid=1480

[unfrigginreal]

1. lol...I bet they wish there was a Jan. 300 or something like that

They gotta keep to the promised time frame even if it means failure, we sure don't want chimpy to look bad.

[Arkana]

11. But of course

I'm sure the "election" will be like the "handover of power," where the US officials check out in the middle of the goddamn night and allow bedlam to ensue. That way it won't be their problem.

[PATRICK]

2. The Shiite-Bushco Concordance

it isn't an election, it's a deal. One that Bush will fudge of course no matter what. But the Shia mistakenly think some of the bargain will be theirs. Another fatal compromise in the good old Texas model where Bush gets "credit" for another betrayal.

On a scale from a farce to an impressive sham, how will this election rate? I am thinking they will keep it very quiet, ignore the Sunni and get in a bunch of puppets. The Shia will settle a bit for that depending on how bad the puppets are, simply to get their foot in the door. In the long run the Shia empire will be determined by how bad Bush messes with Iran as he ABSOLUTELY intends to do. To prevent this the Shia should deep six early elections and not allow Bush to move on at all.

[hippiechick]

3. Well that gives * 2 more months to eradicate the opposition ...

In one way, I think our massacre in Fallujah and other places is 'voter purging - old style'. I mean, if 60% of the population is dead ... who's left to vote against the puppet that Bushco puts up for office ? (As if it was going to be a 'real' election in the first place :eyes: )


:shrug:


:hippie:

[maddezmom]

8. and Mosul is just the start

civil war is part of the march to democracy and freedom. :eyes:

[maddezmom]

4. from article: civilian bus was fired on by US military

In Ramadi, another center of the insurgency just west of Falluja, at least seven people were killed on Saturday when a civilian bus was riddled with bullets. Ramadi police chief Brigadier Jasim al-Dulaimi said U.S. troops had fired on the bus as it passed the governorate building in the city center.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military.

Reuters Television footage showed the bus peppered with bullet holes. Some of the windows were shattered and others spattered with blood. Flies buzzed around corpses in the vehicle, as men carried away bodies and loaded them into cars.

On Sunday evening, fresh fighting erupted in Ramadi, residents said. They said guerrillas had attacked U.S. bases in the city, and several loud explosions were heard. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald and Lin Noueihed in Baghdad, and Maher al-Thanoon in Mosul

[jmcgowanjm]

6. no immediate comment from the U.S. military.

Haven't we seen this alot lately?

And no postponed comment either.

[maddezmom]

7. no mention on the cable networks

:(

[jmcgowanjm]

5. The Election won't happen, Sistani will be the loser

With the US military stretched thinner than ever by a
nationwide crackdown against rebels ahead of a
planned January vote, top brass said tours of duty could
(will)be extended and Washington vented its resentment (Whiney) at the lack
of help from leading European powers.

Germany, along with fellow anti-war NATO members
Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Spain, went along with
the decision to set up the Baghdad training mission but
have refused to permit their officers stationed at NATO's
two operations bases to participate, they
said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=17&u=/afp/20041121/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_041121085919

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/112104Z.shtml

That the USMilitary doesn't collapse by Inauguration Day.
Now that's an attainable goal.

[maddezmom]

9. they will go forward hell or highwater

~snip~

Farid Ayar, spokesman of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (news - web sites), said voting would push ahead even in areas still wracked by violence — including Fallujah, Mosul and other parts of the volatile Sunni Triangle.

~snip~

Ayar insisted that "no Iraqi province will be excluded because the law considers Iraq as one constituency, and therefore it is not legal to exclude any province."

~snip~

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041122/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480

I keep hearing rummy in my head...democracy is not perfect. :eyes:

[jmcgowanjm]

10. Early Iraq Troop Pullout May Start War, Egypt Says

Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- An early withdrawal of foreign troops
from Iraq may lead to civil war, Egypt's foreign minister said,
as his Iraqi counterpart begins two days of talks
with neighboring countries and officials from the Group of
Eight nations.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that delegates to the conference in
the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh will call for
international troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2005. At the
same time, in comments carried by the state news
agency MENA, he warned that an early withdrawal may lead to
a fight for power.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a.gm3AQ.uv2g&refer=top_world_news

What the hell will Powell say to this?

Is he going to sign off on this?