Allawi Confident About Iraq Elections

[maddezmom]

~snip~

However, Allawi, a secular Shiite hand-picked by the Americans last June, said he believed that only "a very small minority" would abstain during the election "for one reason or another."


"Their reason will be political, and not sectarian, and they will not be more than 5, 6 or 7 percent," Allawi said in his office in the U.S.-guarded Green Zone. "They are the eventual losers."

~snip~

U.S. officials are concerned that a boycott could deprive the new government of legitimacy in the eyes of the Sunni Arabs, who make up an estimated 20 percent of the nearly 26 million population. The majority Shiites, believed to form 60 percent of the population, strongly support elections.


Spearheading the boycott call is the Association of Muslim Scholars, an influential Sunni clerical group with suspected links to insurgent groups. The association called for a boycott to protest this month's U.S.-led assault on the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah and the continued U.S. military presence five months after the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty.

~snip~
much more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20041122/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Also in the article, more troops needed, allegations of a mosque being defaced in Fallujah, Red Crescent has made their way into Fallujah, bomb found on a plane at Baghdad airport, etc.

[Goldeneye]

1. Of course he's sure

Whats not to be sure about?

insurgents? hell no
fighting? forget it
attacks at the polls? come on

[NYC Liberal]

2. Bush was confident WMDs would be found.

Huh.

[Robbien]

3. Allawi and his group never step out of the Green Zone

How in heck are we supposed to believe that man knows any more than we do about what Iraqis will do?

[LynnTheDem]

4. Allawi; the CIA-supported former terrorist & liar.

Hey Allawi, how's that "45 minutes" claim you spewed coming along!

[daleo]

5. Allawi figures it's "in the bag"

For others, it's "in the body bag".

[Barrett808]

6. With Allawi and Bush, always assume the opposite is closer to the truth...

Allawi wouldn't be unhappy at all if he were forced to extend the "state of emergency"...indefinintely...

[maddezmom]

7. this quote by Allawi sounds like a threat of more arrests, kidnappings or

deaths of Sunni's boycotting the elections.

"He said that because of the success in Fallujah, "those who will try to obstruct democracy and election are finished. ... They don't have a safe haven anymore.""

[VegasWolf]

8. Of course he does, the Diebolds are already in route.