Violence Hits 'Safe' Iraqi Areas

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml

CBS/AP) Gunmen killed eight Iraqi National Guard soldiers at a checkpoint in central Iraq on Monday, and eight people died in a suicide car bombing at a police station north of Baghdad.

Some of the latest violence, including a series of weekend attacks along a highway southeast of Baghdad, occurred in provinces which U.S. and Iraqi authorities have deemed safe enough to hold the elections and appear to be attempts to scare the country's majority Shiites away from the Jan. 30 polls.

Underscoring these security concerns, Shiite politician Salama Khafaji, who survived an ambush in central Baghdad Sunday by gunmen wearing police uniforms, said she's canceled campaigning in the south after her staff discovered terrorist checkpoints on major routes.

"What we fear now most is terrorists wearing police uniforms," Khafaji told The Associated Press Monday. "The uniforms and body armor used by the police are available on the market for anyone to buy," she said.

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[Supersedeas]

1. democratic elections without political campaigns....brilliant

[peacebird]

2. democratic elections where you don't know the names of the candidates?

until you go into the voting booth?

are they releasing the names of the major candidates to the millions of Iraqi voters in the US and around the world (but notably NOT in Iraq) in advance, I wonder?

[NNN0LHI]

3. They are not releasing the location of the polling places either n/t

[Dr.Phool]

5. Sounds like an American election

Now they'll give voters a sealed envelope to drop in the box, so it can be a secret ballot.

[NYC]

4. Interesting point.

And how could it be a fair election if people were essentially presented with two different ballots (those with names, and those without).

Also, if they gave names to the Iraqis in the U.S., isn't there a possibility that information would get back to Iraq? I doubt they would do that, but who knows.

Many people in Iraq will not be able to vote, so the election is a sham anyway. Also, we already know the outcome.

[Journeyman]

6. I don't see what the problem is. . .

Here's the slate of candidates:

1)
2)
3)


Here's their campaign platforms:

1)

2)

3)



Here's your polling place:




Now, all the Iraqis have to do is make an intelligent choice from the list above, vote their conscience at the polling place listed, and freedom, love and democracy will flower in their desert wonderland.

I just don't see what possible confusion there could be.