'What a bloody charade'

[warrior1]

January 30 2005 at 11:31AM
Sunday Independent
'What a bloody charade'

By Robert Fisk

Baghdad - In Baghdad on Saturday they were supposed to be preparing for an election. But they were preparing for war.

The American Bradley armoured vehicles on the streets, the United States foot patrols, the old Russian personnel carriers that Saddam Hussein bought on the cheap from the Soviet Union - now dressed up in the dull camouflage paint of the new Iraqi army - the hooded and masked policemen: they do not look like the prelude to an experiment in democracy. They are all waiting for the rivers of blood of which insurgents have warned. But there will be democracy in Iraq.

snip

Then a fierce gun battle broke out in the very centre of Baghdad between Americans and insurgents. Too late again. The gunmen got away. Fantasy attacks before a fantasy election. Many Iraqis do not know the names of the candidates, let alone their policies.
But there will be democracy in Iraq.

he media boys and girls will be expected to play along with this. "Transition of power", says the hourly logo on CNN's live coverage of the election, though the poll is for a parliament to write a constitution, and the men who will form a majority within it will have no power.

They have no control over their own oil, no authority over the streets of Baghdad, let alone the rest of the country, no workable army or loyal police force. Their only power is that of the American military and its 150 000 soldiers whom we could all see on the main intersections of Baghdad yesterday.

snip

[JohnyCanuck]

1. Here's a link

What a Bloody Charade

[warrior1]

3. oops

Thanks for the link.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

2. Sounds like the beginnings of an American inauguration

Armed city, a dimwit in Washington proclaiming what a great day, and the press turning the day into a damn video game graphic with spiffy logos and special effects but no real news - honest news - that is. Is anyone suffering from Dim Son burnout and frustration? I guess I must be down today but I can't see how this country can take four more years of this Bushit. How on earth can people not see what an a$$wipe this whole cabal of thieves, liars and thugs are?

I honestly hope the elections go well, that no one else is hurt or killed but the worse part...we will never really know. This bunch is so adept at skewing the news and screwing the public any reporting coming out is not to be trusted. I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of this administration or its bought and paid for media if their tongues came notarized (sorry, Judge Marilyn whoever!).

[lonestarnot]

4. and no contol over their indigenious seeds! Now ordered seeds destroyed

and "mandated bush + dick" to buy from U.S.

[jilln]

7. thank you , monsanto!!!

just wait til they try to "privatize water"

[lonestarnot]

8. Already done...

[Dudley_DUright]

5. What a farce!

Then a fierce gun battle broke out in the very centre of Baghdad between Americans and insurgents. Too late again. The gunmen got away. Fantasy attacks before a fantasy election. Many Iraqis do not know the names of the candidates, let alone their policies. But there will be democracy in Iraq.

In fact no names are even listed on the ballots, only numbers and party affiliation.

Running for office in Iraq is a dangerous occupation; candidates have been threatened and killed. As a result, only a party symbol and a candidate number are listed on ballots, not candidates’ names. Voting for stealth candidates undermines the idea of a free and fair election.

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=9123

[warrior1]

6. this 'election'

also is a distraction that bush didn't find any WMD, we as a country were never in harms way becase saddam was in power and certainly wasn't worth one american life so that these people could vote when people in our own can't even get their votes counted. What a fucking farce indeed.