Elections under occupation lack real credibility - NYT doesn't get it yet

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2005/12/19/2003285093

Iraq's current political process will not solve the crisis. Only a US and British pullout and a UN-sponsored poll will provide any hope of achieving that goal

By Harith al-Dari
THE GUARDIAN , BAGHDAD
Monday, Dec 19, 2005,Page 9

Iraq has a long history of civilization that has contributed both knowledge and wisdom to humanity. For many centuries, Islam also immunized Iraq against religious or sectarian strife and protected its population from the oppression that peoples of the ancient world had been subjected to.

Generation after generation of Iraqis succeeded in maintaining peaceful coexistence among their diverse sects and races, despite the hardships and challenges they faced. It is by virtue of this cohesion that Iraq managed to rise up again and put its house in order in the wake of every calamity.

In recent times, one of the most difficult periods has been the past 35 years, during which Iraq was subjected to one-party rule by a minority that dragged the country through a series of misadventures, with heavy losses for the Iraqi people.

During the last chapter of that painful era, Iraqis were for many years punished with sanctions that caused the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, most of them children. The sanctions ended with an invasion, followed by an occupation by US and British troops, in total complete contravention of international law and in defiance of the UN. snip

What is the solution? The cause of the problem, the source of the trouble, is the occupation which has brought all this upon Iraq and the Iraqis. This has to be eliminated. But the US administration remains committed to its occupation and insistent on pushing ahead with a political process that is entirely without credibility. snip

Nothing will work in Iraq unless the root of the problem is addressed: the occupation must end.

[Richard Steele]

1. International Law does not recognize "elections" held under occupation.

Any 10-year-old can recognize why such "elections",
held while armed foreigners control your nation,
can never be considered valid.

[indepat]

2. You mean like if elections had been held in occupied France they too would

have been a farce just like these. ;)

[NNN0LHI]

4. I bet the NYT recognized the Vichy government as well n/t

[Silverhair]

3. Does that invalidate the post WWII elections in Germany, Japan & Italy?

You may want to remember that we DID occupy those countries after WWII. In fact, we STILL have troops in those countries. So by your standards those countries are not democracies.

I am NOT so partisan that I hope the attempt to start a democracy fails.

[NNN0LHI]

5. Actually those governments still do answer to the USA

And they do pretty much whatever we tell them to do too. I'm not sure if you knew that? That is not the case in Vietnam where we tried this same BS. Didn't work there so good. You want to recognize this puppet government the US just installed in Iraq that is your choice. Its not going to work. But be my guest if that makes you feel better.

Don