Good News from Iraq: Voter Fraud and Verbal Attacks on American Leaders

I was expecting to see something like this in the news from Iraq: 'BAGHDAD: The failed policies of George Bush result in massive voter fraud.'

I didn't find quite that sort of article. Not in 'mainstream media,' anyway. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. Or the press is being nice to Obama, or has more sense than that.

America's 'Newspaper of Record,' on America in Iraq

The New York Times, in "America's Scorecard in Iraq," acknowledged that the Iraqi elections had occurred, and were conducted about as well as America's (they didn't put it that way - but I think that's what it boils down to). The Gray Lady even said that, by and large, all things considered, Iraq was probably better off without Saddam Hussein in charge.

As for "...Has the war [in Iraq] enhanced American strategic interests in the troubled Middle East, as President Bush and the other champions of the war long argued would happen?

"The answer really is no, or at least not yet."

Considering the source, that's almost a ringing endorsement.

Democracy and Freedom are Messy - Deal With it

Iraq's recent elections are nowhere near as well-run as former president Saddam Hussein's. Back in 2002, President Hussein won an election, with enthusiastic and unanimous support. "During polling, many voters trampled American flags and some signed their ballot-papers in their own blood in a display of loyalty to their leader." (BBC)

Saddam Hussein, the democratically-elected leader deposed during Bush's war, got 100% of the vote. No real surprise, there: he was the only candidate.

Iraq's recent election was, in comparison, a mess.

Results from more than 30 polling stations had to be thrown out, because of voter fraud. Apparently, although all 14 provinces had problems, quite a few of the bogus votes were in Diyala province. Again, no great surprise: there's at least a three-way shootout going on there: Sunni vs. Shiite vs. Kurdish.

Having, nation-wide, an average of about two significant cases of voter fraud per province is, I think, doing rather well. Of course, I live in Minnesota, where we're still wrangling over which absentee voters deserve to have their votes counted. (My guess is that this U.S. Senate election will be sorted out before the next election.)

My point is that I'm on the same page with Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on at least one point: Any American who says Iraq isn't moving fast enough, developing a smoothly-running democracy, should take a look at America's history.

More than two centuries after doing something about the 'taxation without representation' thing, America is still tinkering with everything from the Constitution to just exactly what a 'legitimate' ballot is.

Sure, Iraq's got issues. So is everybody. The point is, it looks like they got through an election with less fuss than some of America's.

Yet Another Mission Accomplished: Iraqi Prime Minister Tells off American Leader

The Iraqi prime minister rather politely telling an American vice-president to read this year's papers before shooting his mouth off seems to be a rather diplomatic reaction by an independent country.

Looks to me like Iraq's new government is off to a pretty good start.

More-or-less related posts:

• "Iraq After Liberation: Rockers, Businesswomen, and Hope"
  (February 10, 2009)
• "Iraq Elections Okay, Civilian Deaths Down: Whaddaya Know? Good News"
  (January 31, 2009)
• "Iraqi Government Boots Blackwater: Another 'Mission Accomplished' "
  (January 29, 2009)
• "Abu Ghraib: Abuse and Sexual Humiliation by American Soldiers in the News Again"
  (January 25, 2009)
• "Iran's Nuclear Program, Israel, Iraq, America, Bush and Obama: Simple? Not!"
  (January 11, 2009)

News and views:

• "Iraqi election commission acknowledges fraud"
  The Associated Press (February 15, 2009)
• "Minn. Senate trial hinges on voter mistakes"
  The Associated Press (February 14, 2009)
• "Iraq's Maliki says Biden criticism "out of date""
  Reuters (February 10, 2009)
• "America’s Scorecard in Iraq "
  The New York Times (February 7, 2009)
• "Vote fraud fears threaten months of Anbar peace"
  Los Angeles Times, via San Francisco Chronicle (February 5, 2009)
  Compare:
  • "Sunni rivals clash over elections in Iraq's Anbar province"
    Los Angeles Times (February 5, 2009)
  • "Fears of violence as tribes declare Iraq poll a sham"
    Sydney Morning Herald (February 6, 2009)
  • "Rivals Clash Over Elections in Iraq's Anbar Province"
    Assyrian International News Agency (February 5, 2009)
  • "Los Angeles Times - Sunni rivals clash over elections in Iraq's Anbar province"
    International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 5, 2009)
• "Saddam 'wins 100% of vote' "
  BBC (October 16, 2002)