The Iraqi elections...

[Devastatin Dave]

What's your opinion?

[Ser Clegane]

High turnout (including many Sunnis) and the day was relatively peaceful - so I would say things look very good so far.

[Adrian II]

What's your opinion?

Stop whining, Dave!

[master of the puppets]

looks good so far, as was stated a good turnout and terrorists at bay by the astounding number of Irqi soldiers out (abot 95% of the force) though i have heard little of the candidates i hope they are willing to display the severed heads of terrorist on pikes around the city.

[LeftEyeNine]

One dead close to an election place in Musul. Two mortar shots on the Green Zone in Baghdad where governmental and diplomatic offices reside.. Peaceful in general..

[Adrian II]

High turnout (including many Sunnis) and the day was relatively peaceful - so I would say things look very good so far.

Good turn-out as well: I hear many Shiites even voted twice.

[LeftEyeNine]

Good turn-out as well: I hear many Shiites even voted twice.

Same told about Kurds.. Turkmens say so..

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Who cares its just puppet government anyway right?

[A.Saturnus]

But who´s puppet

[Adrian II]

But who´s puppet

Since the South is fimly in the hands of two Shiite militias who convince all voters to vote Shiite of their own democratic volition and since all the people intimidated, demoted, chased, tortured and killed by the Shiite government's own militias look and sound surprisingly Sunni, my money is on Iran.

Except for the North where the blessed Kurds 'police themselves' and have already struck oil deals with foreign companies without the knowledge of the government in Bagdad.

[Ser Clegane]

Good turn-out as well: I hear many Shiites even voted twice.

That might well be - but, quite frankly, I did not expect an election process that meets all democatric standards yet.
Yes - there will be irregularities. It will be important to see how this is dealt with. However, even more important is the fact that a group that boycotted the last vote is now participating - a prerequisite to stabilize the country.
So, so far I would prefer to see the glass as half full with regard to the elections.

Let's see how things develop. It would be foolish to expect that these elections will cause a radical improvement of the situation in Iraq - but at least they seem to be a step in the right direction, which cannot be said about all developments in Iraq.

[LeftEyeNine]

Who cares its just puppet government anyway right?

That area is now full of puppets, "divide and control" always worked throughout the history.

[Tribesman]

"divide and control"

LEN , I think someone forgot to implement the "control" part of that .

[LeftEyeNine]

You really think so ? I think you should re-consider. The "elders" from overseas and those already around got what they wanted and now are leaving all the mess to Turkish troops very soon, if the news turn out right.

[Adrian II]

So, so far I would prefer to see the glass as half full with regard to the elections.

The glass has long been broken.

[Ser Clegane]

The glass has long been broken.

So, what's your alternative to these elections?

[LeftEyeNine]

So, what's your alternative to these elections?

In addition to what AdrianII might say, I'd go for calling the Superman and let him rewind the time.

If we are looking for something rational, get out of there and let things settle among the natives of the country.

[Adrian II]

So, what's your alternative to these elections?

We have been there before, when I first posted about losing my faith in this whole Iraq thing. That was after I read the proposed new Constitution. After I gradually became convinced that the insurgency was more home-grown than foreign, and that the Shiites were indeed taking over the central government and the entire South and installing their militias as police and army units, that proto-sharia Constitution was the final straw.

I would say: split the nation in three, and split the oil dividends of the Iraqi territory in three as well, to be managed by an international authority together with the three governments. It is not going to be pretty, but it probably never was to begin with.

[Ser Clegane]

If we are looking for something rational, get out of there and let things settle among the natives of the country.

But isn't an election supposed to be a step in that direction?

[Devastatin Dave]

But isn't an election supposed to be a step in that direction?

You wanted proof as to why the other threads i created on this subject should be reopened? Just read Left's and Adrian's posts, that's all you need and soon I'm sure they will be others chiming in on their support for failure.

[LeftEyeNine]

But isn't an election supposed to be a step in that direction?

I mean total evacuation of the foreign soldiers there that will lessen the reaction. The inner balance will somehow be acquired -not in a peaceful way for sure but at least it will tend to decline.

[Ser Clegane]

You wanted proof as to why the other threads i created on this subject should be reopened? Just read Left's and Adrian's posts, that's all you need and soon I'm sure they will be others chiming in on their support for failure.

I see quite a difference between considering something to be a failure and supporting failure (or "counting on the victory of terrorists").
I'm sure you see it as well.

[LeftEyeNine]

You wanted proof as to why the other threads i created on this subject should be reopened? Just read Left's and Adrian's posts, that's all you need and soon I'm sure they will be others chiming in on their support for failure.

DD, I suggest you cooling down because furious mood lessened your comprehension.

[Adrian II]

I see quite a difference between considering something to be a failure and supporting failure (or "counting on the victory of terrorists").
I'm sure you see it as well.

Besides, there is no victory of terrorists in sight. A Shiite fundamentalist victory, that is what I am talking about. It should be contained, lest we have two Irans on our hands instead of one. If it isn't too late already.

As for Dave:
1. I am not a liberal
2. I do not support total failures (like Bush and Rumsfeld)
3. Where are your own views?
4. Why would you cause your own thread to be locked?

[Devastatin Dave]

Judging from the lack of alternative ideas for a democratic Iraq from members of this board on the left side of the political spectrum, I'd have to say that one has to wonder if they actually would prefer Saddam in power than the Iraqi people choosing their government themselves. Oh well, there I go again. But please, I'll sit back and see if someone could answer these questions...

Would these elections be happening right now if the over throw of Saddam had not happened? Would the UN have found a diplomatic way to remove Saddam from power allowing the Iraqi people to decide on their own future? How much more starvation and endless amounts of cash from the Food for Oil scam would still be caused by the lack of action from the world community?

[Ser Clegane]

I would say: split the nation in three, and split the oil dividends of the Iraqi territory in three as well, to be managed by an international authority together with the three governments. It is not going to be pretty, but it probably never was to begin with.

According to recent polls that would not be what the majority of Iraqi people wants.

[Adrian II]

Would these elections be happening right now if the overthrow of Saddam had not happened?

I'll tell you what -- even though I was always against the invasion, I was hoping that it would result in something acceptable.

There might have been fair elections under U.S. and UN supervision if it hadn't been for this horrible lack of security and basic infrastructure in the country. Because of the insecurity and lack of infrastructure, the new Iraqi political system was soon organised along tribal and religious lines, backed up by brute force, at the expense of all political groupings that wanted to reach across ethnic and religious lines.

And how can you expect fair elections in a country where members of government have their own militias and torture chambers? The American Presidential envoy Zalmay Khalizad has declared only yesterday that just two raids on such secret government prisons had turned up 120 torture victims. Go figure what that means for the general atmosphere in which these elections take place. They are dominated by warlords and driven by fear, tribal bonds, hatred and greed.

My God, man -- if non-Shiite politicians in the South are afraid to talk to the foreign press for fear of being recognised, what does that tell you about these elections?

[Devastatin Dave]

DD, I suggest you cooling down because furious mood lessened your comprehension.

That post was for Ser on responding to a PM he had sent me. Sorry for the confussion comrade...

[LeftEyeNine]

Judging from the lack of alternative ideas for a democratic Iraq from members of this board on the left side of the political spectrum, I'd have to say that one has to wonder if they actually would prefer Saddam in power than the Iraqi people choosing their government themselves. Oh well, there I go again. But please, I'll sit back and see if someone could answer these questions...

Would these elections be happening right now if the over throw of Saddam had not happened? Would the UN have found a diplomatic way to remove Saddam from power allowing the Iraqi people to decide on their own future? How much more starvation and endless amounts of cash from the Food for Oil scam would still be caused by the lack of action from the world community?

Questions countered with questions :

If it was all about liberation, why was the main cause told to be the chemical and nuclear weapons ? Why did US have to lie about invasion. Legislation of war, misinformation of misinterpretion of information? Yes and I'm Zeus.

The temporary government was already "favored" by US. Do you think anyone whom US dislikes can come into power through elections in Iraq honestly ? Do you think it will ever be a totally independent Iraq or Amer-Iraq from now on ?

Edit : No probs, DD. I wish for a better dialogue from now on.

[Geoffrey S]

The Sunnis being more involved in politics is pleasing; hopefully this will lead to some kind of a representative and stable government. They might not agree on all matters, but at least they are joining the political process now. Hopefully it's not too late just yet.