In Armored Vehicles, U.S. Troops Tell Iraqis to Vote (in Samarra)

[Rose Siding]

SAMARRA, Iraq (Reuters) - A rumbling column of U.S. Bradley fighting vehicles grinds to a stop in a rebellious Iraqi neighborhood of scarred houses and mud streets.

Heavily-armed troops jump out and begin searching homes as loudspeakers blast in Arabic: "On Sunday you should go out to vote. Vote to give freedom to Iraq. Vote to save Iraq." A soldier hands out fliers to a group of untidy children.
...
"We hang posters around the city telling people how important it is for them to vote but they rip them up as soon as we turn our backs," said Staff Sgt. Russ Spike from Akron, Ohio.
...
As 30-tonBradley vehicles pointed their 25 mm cannons down alleyways, Spike cranked up the volume of the loudspeakers on his Humvee. He has a list of taped messages with titles such as "Election news," "Freedom to vote" and "Love and family.".....

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7468491&pageNumber=1

[xultar]

1. What Dumb Asses we are! n/t

[cliss]

10. You beat me to it.

What's the next step? Do we go from house to house, pointing guns at people and tellng them they better vote or else?

We could always threaten them with jail time if they don't vote. That might get some action.

In a nutshell, this summarizes the occupation. We've been reduced to forcing people to do things (ordinary, everyday things), that they don't want to do.

This is what happens when people don't co-operate. You've got one big, stinking dung heap.

[lebkuchen]

2. *chuckle*

no comment

[central scrutinizer]

3. meanwhile in Florida

heavily armed men in armored vehicles discourage people from voting.

[Rose Siding]

9. And brave comrades in TN don't make it any easier for Iraqis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Two polling places for next week's Iraqi elections are being consolidated and moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds after community leaders raised concerns about security.

Mayor Bill Purcell on Thursday applauded the change, effective Saturday. The decision, he said, was made after city officials' concerns were relayed to the International Organization for Migration, which is conducting the overseas voting program.

The two previous polling and registering places in Nashville -- Coleman Community Center and the Fraternal Order of Police building -- will no longer be used.

"I'm satisfied it was absolutely the right decision," Purcell said. "It's not just the right thing for people who had concerns in the neighborhood. It certainly comforted many of them."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-overseas-vote-nashville,0,6090736.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Rose Siding]

4. In a related story:

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jubilant Iraqi exiles cast their ballots in a "vote for freedom" on Friday and urged their compatriots in Iraq to defy insurgents and do the same.

In Australia, Iraqis danced in the streets, twirling scarves and singing, and proudly displaying blue ink on their fingers which told the world they had cast the first votes.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=SG1SEEL13FAEMCRBAEOCFEY?type=worldNews&storyID=7468311

[peacebird]

11. these Iraqi's are JUBILANT because they ain't in Iraq...

[0007]

5. A rock and a hard place!

There are no campaign posters in this city of 200,000 people, and several election officials have resigned after receiving death threats.

Voters don't know where they have to cast ballots because officials are keeping sites secret until election day.

If they vote their Iraqi bother will kill them, and if they don't vote the Americans will.

[Cocoa]

6. maybe Sean Combs has some T-shirts left over

the troops could hand them out to the Iraqis.

[Minstrel Boy]

7. Are they going to use the Bradleys to drive Iraqis to the polls?

They haven't even told the Iraqis yet where the polls are.

[Az_lefty]

8. It should be pretty clear by now...

that these people are not going to vote in "our" election. They want us out and we should oblige them by getting the fuck out!!!!!
:mad:

[MrMonk]

13. A better approach than "vote for freedom"

would be "Vote on Sunday and help us get the hell out of here!"

[w4rma]

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