Let Freedom Reign: "There are no rules. There is no law. This is freedom?"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/01/29/iraq_election/index.html

The risk of election day violence is highest in towns across central and northern Iraq with Sunni majorities who are boycotting the vote, stretching from Kirkuk in the north to Fallujah in the west to Baghdad in the middle of the country. Kirkuk's election will be closely watched as three ethnic groups -- Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen -- struggle for control of the city that sits atop one-tenth of the world's oil reserves. When I was in Kirkuk earlier this week, Mateen Jawdat, 35, a Turkman laborer working to renovate a Shiite shrine for the U.S. military, told me the chance to vote for candidates from his ethnic minority is worth risking possible attacks. "I will see what Allah has written," he said of the threat of attacks on election day while gesturing to the sky. Standing next to him was Mohammed Ahmed, 24, a Kurd. "I am not afraid. It is an Iraqi duty (to vote)," he said.



http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/01/29/iraq_election/index1.html

Amid the heightened fear and tension are the daily annoyances that have mounted since war began here nearly two years ago. Standing in gas lines for hours, or even days, is commonplace. Two weeks ago, the water went out in Baghdad because a water line was bombed, although water seems to be slowly returning. Electricity is only available a few hours a day, so Fenghush, the mother of 10, bought a kerosene heater, but now she can't even afford the fuel for it. "Kerosene is very expensive and we don't have money to buy this, so sometimes I put gas for a truck in my heater. It's cold at night." The story is the same throughout much of the country, and Iraqis will bring their frustrations to the polls -- as well as a deep sense of angry disappointment with the U.S. for failing to make good on promises of a better life.



Many here harbor suspicions that the U.S. has designs on Iraqi oil and wants to keep the country unstable to keep control over it. We "thought the Americans would come and build Disneyland here. I thought there would be good jobs for everybody, but I think the Americans were slow to take actions," said Ahmed Salam, a 42-year-old owner of a travel and tourism business. Alaa al Tamimi is more blunt. "They blew up a major water . Iraq is the size of one state in America," he sputtered, leaning forward and growing louder. "Why can't the U.S. Army guard it? There are no rules. There is no law. This is freedom?" Despite their anger, most Iraqis don't want the U.S. troops to leave, at least not yet. It's not from any affection for America. No one likes the idea of being occupied or having Humvees zooming through their streets and helicopters screaming overhead. But many fear the country is so fragile that total anarchy will ensue if U.S. soldiers suddenly pack up and go home. They blame the U.S. for creating a mess but are grudgingly resigned to the fact that they need it to stay to clean it up.



Ideally, the cleaning up will get started with the national election, which is intended to eventually lead to an autonomous government for Iraq. It's a complicated process: On Sunday, a 275-member national assembly will be chosen. That group will choose a president and two deputies. The president and deputies will choose a prime minister, with the approval of the assembly. Then the prime minister will choose a cabinet, again with the approval of the assembly. The assembly will then set to writing a constitution to replace the temporary one drawn up last spring. The constitution will pave the way for elections for a new government to be held by the end of this year and mark the beginning of a truly sovereign government run and chosen by Iraqis. Also on Sunday, Iraqis will vote for local provincial councils that will act much like a state government in the U.S. At least that's the plan.

[Vogon_Glory]

1. LawN'Order, Working Infrastructure, Self-Determination...

Even if the elections the Rulin' Dubya Posse SAYS it wants for Iraq succeed, I fully expect that the new leaders are likely to be thoroughly anti-American in ways that the Kuwaitis weren't after Pappy Bush chased Saddam out of "Province 19" in 1991.

Law and Order, working infrastructure, and self-determination are likely to be very powerful issues that will appeal to such a broad percentage of Iraqi voters that not even "tweaked" voting machines are likely to prevent a powerful party from winning on those issues.

Even if the elections go as smoothly as Bushista and Freeperstani cheerleaders hope they will, I fully expect future Iraqi governments to have a very anti-American nature backed by hostile popular attitudes that weren't there when Gee Dubya started his Big Sandy Adventure back in 2003.