Iraqis Brave Attacks; Voter Turnout High

[twaddler01]

By MARIAM FAM, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqis defied violence and calls for a boycott to cast ballots their first free election in a half-century Sunday. Insurgents seeking to wreck the vote struck polling stations with a string of suicide bombings and mortar volleys, killing at least 44 people, including nine attackers.

Women in black abayas whispered prayers at the sound of a nearby explosion as they waited to vote at one Baghdad polling station. But the mood for many was upbeat: Civilians and policemen danced with joy at one of the five polling stations where photographers were allowed, and some streets were packed with voters walking shoulder-to-shoulder to vote. The elderly made their way, hobbling on canes or riding wheelchairs; one elderly woman was pushed along on a wooden cart, another man carried a disabled 80-year-old on his back.

"This is democracy," said Karfia Abbasi, holding up a thumb stained with purple ink to prove she had voted.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_the_vote

I guess it depends on how you define "high"...

[killbotfactory]

1. Saddam had elections

Only he was running against feeble old women and if you voted against him you risked death.

We're much better at propaganda, though. When we fix an election we make it look like a close race. That way it looks legitimate.

[fearnobush]

2. Ok, how about a million dollars for the 1st MSM strory that does not lie?

Never happen. Our media is FAKE.

[ClintonTyree]

3. The number was quoted as 57%.............imagine that

that's the SAME number FAUX reported early this morning! The MSM is following the script to a tee, you have to hand it to them, they're not breaking ranks on this story.
If 57% of eligible voters actually voted in Iraq today, I will allow KKKarl Rove to chop my testicles off with a rusty tin can lid, in public, pay per view, and the money donated to the RNC. :grr:
In other words, I'm fairly sure those figures are something pulled out of mid air, like the actual reasons for starting this war in the first place.

[mom cat]

7. Ouch! Now that's certainty! Sure hope you are right.

Actually, I think that this morning that the claim was that over 70% of the registered voters had voted! Even at that percentage, I would not let Rove near my testicles....and I don't have any! Hope I don't see you on pay per view.

[Ms. Clio]

4. "They danced with joy" where photographers were allowed. That's convincing

My god. Why do they write about Iraqis as if they were childish primitives?

[pretzel4gore]

5. bush's dry wells became mass media gushers!

Amazing! The guy coudnt find oil in texas, but he has gushers in every media org, spewing out gas and brine and lies and lotsa bushit! Wow! Fox 'news', brite hum, and les blitzer of cnn...chris matheews, table dancer coulter, table dancer laura ingrahm, maybe peter '$28k a day' jennings, whore extrordinaire! so many! what an RTI (return on investment!)

[salin]

6. Congratulations to those Iraqis who voted

especially those in areas which were under threat of violence. The human spirit and determination required in some cases is always respectable.

Sadly I have very low expectations that these elections will lead to any real change on the ground for the many Iraqis in terms of economics (record unemployment), security (both related to the insurgency and related to the ongoing high rate of crimes), and the situation that will arise if/when the new government wants to dictate actions of hte US Military (eg to pull out of a particular area, or to pull out of the country altogether). THis is but one event, albiet one with the potential for historic importance, in what must be a chain of many, many more events if Iraq is really moving towards stability, self-governance and democracy.