High Turnout In Iraqi Election

[Nowhereman]

I don't care how much you hate Bush, this is a historic day for the Iraqis. I don't know how it will all turn out but the fact that 60% to 67% of eligible voters voted is a huge step.


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11:06 am PST, 30 January 2005

Counting has begun in the Iraqi general election which officials are hailing as a great success.


A higher-than-expected 60 percent of those eligible to vote are said to have turned out, in spite of suicide bombings and mortar strikes at polling stations.



The Iraqi Electoral Commission has downgraded its initial estimate of a 72 per cent turnout to about 60 per cent, but says with death threats against anyone who voted, that is still high.



And it says in some Shi'ite areas turnout was as high as 90 per cent.



Candidates from the Shi'ite majority, which was oppressed under the deposed president, Saddam Hussein, are expected to dominate the new assembly.



Sunni Muslim groups, privileged under Hussein, had sworn to boycott the poll.



Meanwhile, at least 33 people have been killed in attacks on election day, mostly in suicide bombings and mortar strikes at polling stations.



Al Qaeda has posted a statement on an Islamist Website claiming its suicide bombers were involved in many of the attacks.



Thousands of Iraqis also voted abroad, in 14 countries.



Organisers say almost 66 per cent of the 280,000 expatriate Iraqis registered have voted.

[Gold9472]

280,000 voted...

Iraq's Population: The population of Iraq (1997 estimate) is 22,219,289. The estimated overall population density is 51 persons per sq km (131 per sq mi). The density varies markedly, with the largest concentrations in the area of the river systems. The population is 75 percent urban.

22,219,289 - 280,000 = 21,939,289 people who didn't vote. For argument's sake, let's say half of that number is made up of children.

That leaves 10,969,644 people who didn't vote. That means the minority is deciding who leads that country. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? Is it possible that the new leadership MAY be "business friendly" with America? We'll have to wait and see what contracts get signed...

[Good Doctor HST]

I'd be interested to know how Iraqis who never, ever, ever, ever had any say in electing their leaders could make a choice that would satisfy their values and ideas out of 100 candidates. On top of that, if they do watch Al-Jazeera T.V. or read the papers, I wonder which candidates were advertised and flaunted as the right choice. Possibly the ones that had U.S. backing??? Like Allawi?

Just check and see which candidate would appeal more to U.S. interests. That will be your elected Iraqi leader. No doubt about it.

[somebigguy]

I'd be interested to know how Iraqis who never, ever, ever, ever had any say in electing their leaders could make a choice that would satisfy their values and ideas out of 100 candidates. On top of that, if they do watch Al-Jazeera T.V. or read the papers, I wonder which candidates were advertised and flaunted as the right choice. Possibly the ones that had U.S. backing??? Like Allawi?

Just check and see which candidate would appeal more to U.S. interests. That will be your elected Iraqi leader. No doubt about it.
Good point. Two elections were rigged in the U.S. It's not too far fetched that the Iraqi election would be rigged as well.

[Gold9472]

Aren't they using Diebold machines?

[somebigguy]

Aren't they using Diebold machines?
I don't know. Did the U.S. supply them with the voting equipment?

[Gold9472]

I don't know. Did the U.S. supply them with the voting equipment?

To my knowledge.

[somebigguy]

To my knowledge.
Good Doctor made a good point, I never even considered what he was saying. I figured it was all pointless anyway, as the insurgents keep killing everyone that gets into power over there. It will be interesting to see what ties the victor has to the U.S.

Whoever it is will probably be killed in short order anyway, this will screw up Bushies agenda.

[Gold9472]

Good Doctor made a good point, I never even considered what he was saying. I figured it was all pointless anyway, as the insurgents keep killing everyone that gets into power over there. It will be interesting to see what ties the victor has to the U.S.

Whoever it is will probably be killed in short order anyway, this will screw up Bushies agenda.

Not to rain on the Good Doctor's parade, but I believe it was I, Gold9472, who said this first...

"Is it possible that the new leadership MAY be "business friendly" with America? We'll have to wait and see what contracts get signed..."

At least I think it's the same point... Ah-HAH... I am the brilliant one yet again... :confused:

Let's not forget good ole' Mr. Karzai...

http://home.comcast.net/~gold9472/hamidkarzai.gif

[somebigguy]

Not to rain on the Good Doctor's parade, but I believe it was I, Gold9472, who said this first...

"Is it possible that the new leadership MAY be "business friendly" with America? We'll have to wait and see what contracts get signed..."

At least I think it's the same point... Ah-HAH... I am the brilliant one yet again... :confused:

Let's not forget good ole' Mr. Karzai...

http://home.comcast.net/~gold9472/hamidkarzai.gif
Well whoever wants to take credit for it is fine with me. It's an interesting point though.

The links to Bush will probably be so obvious, it'll be ridiculous. Just like the Osama video before the elections. And the public will eat it up anyway.

[Gold9472]

Well whoever wants to take credit for it is fine with me. It's an interesting point though.

The links to Bush will probably be so obvious, it'll be ridiculous. Just like the Osama video before the elections. And the public will eat it up anyway.

I don't care... GDHST is a VERY smart man regardless of whether or not I beat him to it. :D

Anyway... I'm sure Halliburton, Bechtel, etc... will be mentioned in the news a lot.

[somebigguy]

I don't care... GDHST is a VERY smart man regardless of whether or not I beat him to it. :D

Anyway... I'm sure Halliburton, Bechtel, etc... will be mentioned in the news a lot.
Yep, and it will be ignored by all the investigative journalists out there.

[Gold9472]

Yep, and it will be ignored by all the investigative journalists out there.

I wonder how this investigation in Nigeria is going... the one against Halliburton in regards to bribery, etc... the one where Dick Cheney was at the helm of the company at the time. You don't hear much about that or the Energy Task Force anymore.

[somebigguy]

I wonder how this investigation in Nigeria is going... the one against Halliburton in regards to bribery, etc... the one where Dick Cheney was at the helm of the company at the time. You don't hear much about that or the Energy Task Force anymore.
Nope, it's all just ignored. Dick and Bush would never ever be involved in anything underhanded would they?

[Gold9472]

Nope, it's all just ignored. Dick and Bush would never ever be involved in anything underhanded would they?

Richard Armitage, Paul Wolfowitz, John Ashcroft... all those fuckers.

[somebigguy]

Richard Armitage, Paul Wolfowitz, John Ashcroft... all those fuckers.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely doesnt it?

[Gold9472]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely doesnt it?

Now this news of a "Fellowship"... ugh

[somebigguy]

Now this news of a "Fellowship"... ugh
Yeah, well I'd like to see them take away my high scores.

[danceyogamom]

The links to Bush will probably be so obvious, it'll be ridiculous. Just like the Osama video before the elections. And the public will eat it up anyway.

that's because we (generally speaking) are a bunch of sheep who resent having to think and REALLY resent being wrong in any form ...

[EminemsRevenge]

I don't care how much you hate Bush, this is a historic day for the Iraqis. I don't know how it will all turn out but the fact that 60% to 67% of eligible voters voted is a huge step.


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Yeah...and Gold & all the pseuber-libs are on the spin whilst you & your cuntservatives are also missing the whole picture:eek:

THIS election should teach Amerikkka a lesson in democracy!!!
If only 30% of the population showed up to the polls, Amerikkka should still learn a lesson from that:mad:

Here it is you have people literally risking their lives to vote, yet in this cuntry you seldom get more than half the population to the polls, and i've got news for y'all...that 50% of Amerikkklans who don't vote are almost all "liberals":eek:

GW mobilized his constituents the last time out, which is why he won by four-plus million, but you'd have to go back thirty years to see a real asskicking---http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/viewer.aspx?path=9/94/&name=ElectoralCollege1972-Large.png

[danceyogamom]

Yeah...and Gold & all the pseuber-libs are on the spin whilst you & your cuntservatives are also missing the whole picture:eek:

THIS election should teach Amerikkka a lesson in democracy!!!
If only 30% of the population showed up to the polls, Amerikkka should still learn a lesson from that:mad:

Here it is you have people literally risking their lives to vote, yet in this cuntry you seldom get more than half the population to the polls, and i've got news for y'all...that 50% of Amerikkklans who don't vote are almost all "liberals":eek:

GW mobilized his constituents the last time out, which is why he won by four-plus million, but you'd have to go back thirty years to see a real asskicking---http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/viewer.aspx?path=9/94/&name=ElectoralCollege1972-Large.png

There is a *whole lot* out there that should teach Americans a lesson ... We consistently take our way of life for granted. You don't have to go very far to find countries that can't even count on basic living conditions - much less voting rights.

I wonder how many Americans would vote if they were suddenly faced with having to fetch and purify their own water? Take away our basic comforts, what we take for granted, and you may finally have a population angry enough to pay attention and affect change.

[Gold9472]

I don't care how much you hate Bush, this is a historic day for the Iraqis. I don't know how it will all turn out but the fact that 60% to 67% of eligible voters voted is a huge step.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11:06 am PST, 30 January 2005

Counting has begun in the Iraqi general election which officials are hailing as a great success.


A higher-than-expected 60 percent of those eligible to vote are said to have turned out, in spite of suicide bombings and mortar strikes at polling stations.



The Iraqi Electoral Commission has downgraded its initial estimate of a 72 per cent turnout to about 60 per cent, but says with death threats against anyone who voted, that is still high.



And it says in some Shi'ite areas turnout was as high as 90 per cent.



Candidates from the Shi'ite majority, which was oppressed under the deposed president, Saddam Hussein, are expected to dominate the new assembly.



Sunni Muslim groups, privileged under Hussein, had sworn to boycott the poll.



Meanwhile, at least 33 people have been killed in attacks on election day, mostly in suicide bombings and mortar strikes at polling stations.



Al Qaeda has posted a statement on an Islamist Website claiming its suicide bombers were involved in many of the attacks.



Thousands of Iraqis also voted abroad, in 14 countries.



Organisers say almost 66 per cent of the 280,000 expatriate Iraqis registered have voted.

Your story is a little misleading...

"Iraqi officials said there were 14.2 million eligible voters for the election in Iraq and another 280,000 expatriates registered to vote worldwide."

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/31/iraq.main/

Based on your story, I thought only 280,000 voted...

14.2 Million voted...

[Gold9472]

Sorry... I rarely read everything anymore... I skim...