March 7, 2010
By ROGENE FISHER
In a statement released by the White House Sunday morning, President Obama praised Iraqis’ resolve as they defied a wave of bombings across the country and turned out to vote in parliamentary elections that are seen as a crucial test of Iraq’s democracy nearly seven years after the American-led ouster of Saddam Hussein.
“I congratulate the people of Iraq for casting their ballots in this important parliamentary election. I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence, and who exercised their right to vote today. Their participation demonstrates that the Iraqi people have chosen to shape their future through the political process.
“I commend the Iraqi government and Iraqi Security Forces for providing security at nearly 50,000 voting booths at more than 8,000 polling stations across Iraq. We mourn the tragic loss of life today, and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi poll workers contributed to the effort, as well as domestic party and civil society observers. Iraqi citizens around the world also participated in these elections, including Iraqis living in the U.S. who voted in Arlington, Va., Chicago, Dallas, Dearborn, Mich., Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco.
“The important work of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) will continue in the days to come as it counts ballots, tabulates results and investigates complaints. We also salute the invaluable assistance provided by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).”
Mr. Obama was to make further comments on the elections in a 3 p.m. press briefing.
In the places where there was violence, particularly Baghdad, the attacks seemed to have depressed early turnout. But, according to Western officials, election observers reported that in the afternoon once-empty polling stations were jammed with defiant voters.
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In the southern part of the country, fears that the split in the Shiite coalition might lead to violence did not seem to be realized, the officials said.
Again, early indications suggested that the split in the Shiite alliance might have actually caused higher-than-expected turnout.
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American troops helped keep the voting quiet in Kirkuk, potentially the most explosive city in Iraq. While American soldiers are barely seen elsewhere in Iraq, worry was so high about tension among Kurds, Arabs and other ethnic groups in the oil rich northern city that Americans were posted at polling stations, on roads and at police stations. There was U.S. air cover too.
This would never have been the case if American combat troops were out in force.
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