Saturday, January 31, 2009

Iraq Elections Okay, Civilian Deaths Down: Whaddaya Know? Good News

Good news from Iraq.

News coverage of Iraq's election - largely free of violence - certainly is a change from the tone of most news from Iraq. Some of it's because there has been real improvement in that country: but I can't help wondering if January 20, 2009, having passed has something to do with it.

From what I've read, it took tight security: but Iraqis got to the polls - and weren't killed. That's an improvement over Iraq's first free election in fifty years, following Saddam Hussein's defeat.

(CENTCOM Photo, from "On Point II," page 421, used w/o permission)
"Figure 106. Iraqi woman voter."

As I wrote the other day, Iraq isn't going to be a western democracy. Or a "western" anything else. But it looks like it's well on its way to being a stable country. And, considering the people and natural resources, I think it'll be a prosperous one. I hope so.

More-or-less related posts: In the news:
  • "Obama praises peaceful Iraq polls"
    BBC (January 31, 2009)
    • "US President Barack Obama has congratulated Iraqis for holding a largely peaceful vote for provincial councils across the country....
  • "Obama hails Iraqi elections as key step forward"
    Reuters (January 31, 2009)
    • "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday hailed Iraq's peaceful provincial elections as an important step forward in Iraqis taking responsibility for their own future...."
  • "Bush shoe-thrower sculpture given the boot in Iraq"
    AFP (January 31, 2009)
    • "...The shoe -- in which a bush was planted -- stood three metres high (about 10 feet) and sat atop a white pedestal in Tikrit, the hometown of executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein...."
  • "Iraqi civilian deaths down in January"
    CNN (January 31, 2009)
    • "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The number of Iraqi civilian deaths in January dropped to the lowest monthly levels since the U.S.-led invasion began in 2003, according to government numbers supplied to CNN...."
  • "Iraq election ends without major attack - ministry"
    Reuters (January 31, 2009)
    • "BAGHDAD, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Iraq concluded provincial elections on Saturday without recording a major attack anywhere in the war-weary country, said Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Mohammed al-Askary...."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

FBI is Finally Cutting Ties with Terrorist Front Group

Muslims Against Sharia congratulate The Investigative Project on making this possible!

Video/Poll:

http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2009/02/fbi-is-

finally-cutting-ties-with.html

Brian H. Gill said...

Muslims Against Sharia's comment appears to refer to "FBI, CAIR, and Hamas - This is Interesting, but Not News" (January 30, 2009).

Anonymous said...

BETTER
"It´s better to be tried by twelve
Than carried off by six,
All ethical remorse to shelve
For which there is no fix--

It was an accident perforce
But this is bloody war,
And violence proceeds on course
For that´s what we are for.

It is not the securement of
Some high idyllic vision,
For peace and brotherhood and love
Are not part of our mission.

If startled, if confused, however
These innocents go down,
As part and parcel to endeavor
As soldiers aye have known."

.

Brian H. Gill said...

IMSmall,

I don't remember getting a response in verse before.

Interesting.

Responding to what I think you were saying: War isn't nice. But, sometimes the alternative isn't nice, either. And, freeing people from someone like Saddam Hussein isn't necessarily naughty.

If I missed your point, sorry: I'm a bit rushed this afternoon.

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Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

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In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.