US troops tell Iraqis to vote! "Give freedom to Iraq"!

[theresistance]

Absolutely incredible story from Reuters here (not sure if its been posted before). See full report from Samarra: http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7468060

(snip)

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 out. Vote to give freedom to Iraq. Vote to save Iraq." A soldier hands out fliers to a group of untidy children.

(snip)

Isn't this a joke? How can anyone believe this sham of an election? Remember that Russians in Afghanistan organised elections there in the 1980's.

But Reuters also tells a lie when it says: "several election officials have resigned after receiving death threats."

The entire election staff in Samarra actually quit to support the boycott call from the Association of Muslim Scholars: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayArticle.asp?col=%C2%A7ion=focusoniraq&xfile=data/focusoniraq/2005/January/focusoniraq_January52.xml