Baghdad election center director killed

[soleft]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/13/iraq/index.html

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Gunmen killed the director of a Baghdad election center Thursday, another in a series of attacks targeting election officials and candidates as the vote set for January 30 approaches.

Baghdad police, who reported the slaying, did not release the director's name. He was in charge of an election center in the al-Khadoumiyah neighborhood in the northern part of Baghdad.

Also on Thursday, the Democratic Islamic Party announced Iraqi presidential candidate Mithal al-Alousi was targeted for the second time in two weeks.


Good thing our expectations are being lowered.

[UpInArms]

1. my expectations are so low that I believe that the violence

and chaos will continue after the "elections".

:eyes:

[ohtransplant]

2. Sad

It appears these elections will be truly meaningless.

Could it be that's what * really wants? Too cynical for me...

This is truly *'s war. Too bad he took the rest of us with him.

[NYC]

4. Yes, but the U.S. will claim that it is no longer responsible

for anything in Iraq because as of February 1st, they will have a duly elected independent Iraqi government. So bombings, dead people, you name: Not our fault.

Note: I can't remember if the election is Jan. 30th or 31st. Not worth looking up because it's not a real election anyway.

[TahitiNut]

6. Exactly. It's the "Grand Blame-Shifting" ...

... blaiming the victim on a global scale. The moral bankruptcy of this regime is incalculable.

[VegasWolf]

8. As long as a puppet gov is installed that is favorable to US oil interests

[NYC]

9. How can that help?

Seriously, how can a U.S. puppet government help the U.S. get the oil? We have a puppet now, and no oil. The Iraqis won't calm down after the puppet is elected. Things will continue as they have been. The U.S. does not have the oil now.

Unless, I am wrong. Unless, the oil is being taken out of there and we don't know about it. I doubt it.

I think we did all this to take the oil, then didn't get the oil, and I can't see that the new puppet can help that at all.

[tx_dem41]

12. Of course, that's not what is about to happen in Iraq....

far from it.

[DownNotOut]

3. Fuck. Bush and his

'elections' in Iraq are a complete failure. We need to just turn around and get the hell out of these good peoples lands. They will get it sorted out. Get them out now!


DownNotOut

[Robbien]

5. The propaganda is that the violence is because of the election

Stop falling for it please.

The violence would continue whether these elections were being held or not. Its just that election workers are easy targets and killing them gets media attention for the rebels which helps in their recruitment.

[htuttle]

7. Oh Christ. Looks like we're going to need some more IGC guys

[CornField]

10. More plebs are needed

Freedom isn't free, right?

[rainbow4321]

11. Good luck to Iraqis in actually FINDING the election centers...

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100007188&docId=l:250609071&start=3


To vote, crack the code Iraqi districts said to be using cryptic messages to lead people to polls

WASHINGTON - If Iraqis go to the polls on Jan. 30, there will be districts where only a local resident would know how to find a ballot box. An election worker, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the security situation, said signboards with cryptic notations in marking pencil would go up on the day of the vote in some of Iraq's most violent neighborhoods.

"They'll have general instructions that will lead you to figure out how to vote," said one senior election manager in Baghdad.

With three weeks to go, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq is unrolling a voter information campaign in a cat-and-mouse fashion that gives Iraqis the information they need to vote while hoping to frustrate the planning of suicide bombers and other election saboteurs.


Michael Pan, a senior policy analyst with the Democratic-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington, said poor security threatens the integrity of the Iraqi vote. "Low turnout in certain areas could put the whole process in jeopardy," he said. "Generally speaking, this is not the way you do it. You don't rely on luck. That seems to be the strategy of the U.S. government and the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq. But there are no good options because security's so bad."