As Iraqis counted ballots Monday, a day after millions turned out to vote in the country's first free elections in a half-century, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared a major victory over terrorism and called on Iraqis to unite in building a stable democracy.
...
In a separate news conference, Iraq's interior minister, Falah Naqib, credited intensive security plans for the successful balloting, which he said went ahead despite more than 90 insurgent attacks.
Well, that sounds pretty peachy-keen, until you consider this:
At least 45 people, including a U.S. Marine shot while on combat patrol in Anbar province, were reported killed in suicide bombings, shootings and mortar and rocket attacks during the polling.
Let me make a guess here; neither Allawi or the interior minister made their statements anywhere near the perimeter of the Green Zone, and neither probably had less than a platoon of bodyguards.
Just another day in the life of Beloved Leader's Freedom Quest. If the balloting goes in favor of Iraqis who want us gone yesterday, will the 1600 Crew re-invade the country, just because, well, Freedom is on the March?
posted by Jo Fish on 01.31.05 at 05:36 PM
Comments:
Jo--
You have to admire the genius of our guv'mint. The Prez says we will go if asked to leave. Over 60% (maybe close to 70%) of SHIITES (the only people except our Kurdish protectorate that were voting) want us to leave (and something like, oh, 100% of Sunnis, but they didn't vote).
And yet, the Prez'nit steams ahead on plans to build our $2 billion embassy complex to coordinate the dozen permanent military bases we are setting up to safeguard our oil... I mean, keep the peace in Iraq.
So... how can we be sure of all this? First of all, our good buddy Ahmad Chalabi and friends (and Allawi and Sistani's designates) wil be COUNTING THE VOTE, thereby making sure that, as pre-mandated, Sistani's and Allawi's parties get most of the seats.
Once so seated, given the 500,000 TONS of explosives held by the Sunnis/Baathists/Saudi-sponsored insurgents, not to mention the rather effective attacks so far on "the interim government", the "new government" will NEED the 150,000 American troops around TO AVOID GETTING KILLED THEMSELVES.
Also-- to get a nice high turnout, I understand from Iraqi blogger Raed in tehMiddle that food rations were threatened for those who didn't vote... a nice touch. But forgetting that, most IRaqis voting did so to get a government "legitimate" and sovereign enough to get their nubmer one problem-- our ham-handed occupation-- out of their country (possibly so they can get on with killing each other, but the question is whether they will do that whether we stay or not.)
I'm sure they'll be pleased when unknown candidates from the party lists they thought they were voting for show up and sell them out by asking the AMericans NOT to leave...
Democracy, Freedom, Liberty ra ra ra. Bush is great. Go team...
