With polls now closed in Iraq's historic election day, Iraqi officials are reporting a turnout "of 72 percent nationwide, despite a spate of attacks and threats aimed at disrupting the vote. "

yup, the Iraqi people are a very brave bunch of 'folks'. no doudt about that


spaz

"an official later said an estimated eight million Iraqis — or 60 percent of eligible voters — turned out to vote."

This is a huge first step. This high of a turnout is a great start. This is larger then turnout in US elections - and we aren't under threat of suicide bombings or other devious plots.

It is good to see a few hardliners and terrorists will not be able to bully the entire country. I think the Iraqies are braver then the Spainards!

:rokk:

Amazing number, and a good beginning for a new era in Iraq :okthumb:

Intimidation got its ass kicked today :salute:

I read transcripts from Kerry on meet the press.

What an bitter fool he is. Just trying to undermine Bush and his country like he has since he returned from Vietnam.

Of course, anyone who has doubts about the validity of this election can only be motivated by a desire to undermine Bush, Jezus, and 'merikkka. :headwall:

couldn't have put it any better.

60%? I remember reading that someplace else recently.
I just wonder if all those "reports" are for real or not.

couldn't have put it any better.

60%? I remember reading that someplace else recently.
I just wonder if all those "reports" are for real or not. [/b][/quote]
Communists, Democrats, and other third-world degenerates like Canadians might think it worth knowing WHERE people voted.

Of course, that reeks of FACTS (not soundbytes), not to mention requiring THOUGHT.

Dangerous shit, indeed.

There should have been a 3rd vote.

"Who thinks the Coalition / occupying force (Well.... the US) should leave immediately"

IIRC (and note this is picking up sound bytes from the TV while I'm running around) there is a candidate who if they win, plans on requesting/requiring the US leaves. So the option IS on the ballot :)

Why? They aleady had 111 "political entities" and 7,000 "candidates" to choose from... I´m sure you can find every opinion represented in Iraq between those politicians. Representative democracy works :awinky:

LOL the latest reports say that because of all the violence that many of the poll watchers who were supposed to watch the voting did not show up to do their job. so those numbers are pure guess work and we will not know about how many truly show up for days yet.

I thought there were vast areas that didn't vote at all?

I also thought that a vast minority boycotted the election?

Perfect ingredients for civil war.

I think it's all a big scam.

Pretty suspicious the perfect photos of the perfectly dressed Iraqis voting. I didn't see any photos taken outside showing lines of people waiting to vote... only pics inside with pefect lighting and perfectly dressed people. It's all a scam.

I don't think it's all a scam. I think this is an important first step. I think a lot of people are overemphasizing the significance and the size of the step. All the cheering and dancing makes good television - but so does a carrier landing. Like I said, today is an important first step - but it really hasn't got any more significance than the carrier landing did in the long run.

Who voted is important, but so is who didn't vote. Where people voted is also important. I still wonder if "democracy" is going to be the panacea that the Bushites believe it will be. In one Arab country (Algeria, I think) several years ago the military overthrew the government after fair democratic elections when Islamic militants actually won the election.

The purpose of this election was to choose the folks who will write the Iraqi constitution - which will lay out the interaction between Sunni, Shiite, and Kurds. That's going to be the hard part. There are guns all over Iraq. We know this because we helped make it possible.

If the constitutional questions can't be resolved, all hell could break lose - on a scale that could make both today and the Saddam era look like a pleasant time.

PD is there ever a sunny day in your world?

:lol:

PornoDoggy, I´m sure most iraqis are aware that the road ahead is filled with problems, however today´s vote was a mandate to the iraqi politicians, so they can start working on those problems. Iraq is already divided into 18 provinces, and its not hard to forsee limited self govern in those provinces. That could solve alot of problems... The new constitution in October will be the key to stabilize Iraq - even Sunni leaders who have boycotted the election are aware of this.

Today was a very important day, but so is the day tomorrow, and the days after. The people won - terrorists lost :salute:

So lets celebrate that Iraqis are closer to peace today, than they were yesterday :stout:

I´m sure Michael Moore is sitting in his chair right now, thinking of ways to expose this conspiracy - everyone knows that iraqis hate peace, and democracy :ph34r: