News Roundup on "E"-Day...
It seems as though the lovely ladies of the Asylum are large and in charge this morning. Yes, we are awake and on our second pot of coffee. Sabrina did a great job of grabbing up all the latest news from Pajamas Media. I am looking at the news stories around the Internet.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C178770%2C00.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi election commission extended voting by one more hour because of high turnout in the country's historic parliamentary elections Thursday.
The high voter turnout was due, in part, to large numbers of Sunni Arabs showing up at some of the country's 33,000 polling stations; many Sunnis boycotted elections earlier this year.
U.S. officials also say that what's needed is a government capable of reconciling Iraq's disparate groups. The Americans also want to avoid protracted negotiations to choose a new prime minister and cabinet — a process that dragged on for three months after the last vote.
"This is the day to get our revenge on Saddam," said Kurdish voter Chiman Saleh, a Kirkuk housewife who said two of her brothers were killed by the ousted regime. Voter turnout was brisk in the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, especially in Kurdish districts.
Iraqis do not vote for individual candidates, but instead for lists — or tickets — that compete for the seats in each of the 18 provinces.
An alliance of Shiite religious parties, which dominate the current government, was expected to win the largest number of seats — but not enough to form a new administration without a coalition with rival groups. That could set the stage for lengthy and possibly bitter negotiations to produce a government.
In Fallujah, the former Sunni insurgent stronghold overrun by U.S. forces in November 2004, hundreds packed a high school polling station, with many saying they saw the vote as a way to not only get rid of the Americans but to also get rid of the Shiite-dominated government.
"It's an extremist government [and] we would like an end to the occupation," said Ahmed Majid, 31. "Really the only true solution is through politics. But there is the occupation and the only way that will end is with weapons."
Even in insurgent bastions such as Ramadi and Haqlaniyah, Sunnis were turning out in large numbers.
"I came here and voted in order to prove that Sunnis are not a minority in this country," said lawyer Yahya Abdul-Jalil in Ramadi. "We lost a lot during the last elections, but this time we will take our normal and key role in leading this country."
Teacher Khalid Fawaz in Fallujah said he also participated "so that the Sunnis are no longer marginalized."
And 28-year-old college student Yassin Mohammed Samarra said he voted so that "no particular [religious] sect controls the country."
The big turnout in Fallujah also caused problems, with voters, election officials and the mayor complaining of a shortage of ballot boxes and ballots.
Mayor Dhari Youssef al-Arsan, who put turnout at about 45 percent, said 11 out of 35 polling stations did not get ballot boxes and some ran out of ballots in the early hours of voting.
"Three sites stopped because they ran out of ballots," he said. "We had an administrative problem opening polling sites in some of the centers."
He said some of the voters told him that "they thought it was done purposely."
Those must be the Democrats in Iraq. Just kidding. All seems to be going well. This idea that the Sunnis are being frozen out is foolish at best. Had they actually participated in January, the polling places might have been more prepared for the overwhelming numbers. Further, we can see by their comments that they still think they can gain the power and prestige they had under Saddam Hussein. I do not think that is a wise thing for them to be looking for. They should be looking to help with the leading of their nation, not their own petty interests. This election is about the future of Iraq, not the future of the Sunnis who feel slighted because the days of wine and roses are over.
Meanwhile, over in France, the surrender patrol netted an interesting find.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178771,00.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq — French counterterrorism agents on Thursday arrested three people suspected of belonging to a terror group with "indirect links" to al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a police spokeswoman said.
The roundup near Paris came in connection with a similar sweep Monday near the capital and in the northern Oise region which netted 25 suspects, said national police spokeswoman Catherine Casteran.
The three were believed to be part of a terror ring with "indirect links" to al-Zarqawi, she said.
During the overnight sweep, police found a stash of weapons in a garage in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, said a police investigator who cannot be identified because his agency does not authorize it.
They found several pounds of explosives, AK-47 and Famas assault rifles, revolvers, ammunition, balaclavas and bulletproof vests, he said.
Investigators believe the weapons were used to carry out armed robberies in France to finance jihad, or holy war, and that some of the funds may have gone to al-Zarqawi's group.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, described a web of links between the alleged network in France — which police say included both Islamic militants and common criminals — and other terror cells and groups, including al-Zarqawi's.
Okay, I get how they can come up with a connection to al-Qaeda and al-Zarqawi, but did it occur to the surrender monkeys that this could also have been tied to their recent rash of riots? There were Muslim youths that were firing weapons on citizens, and even on French police. But hey, if they can tie it to al-Zarqawi, and they take some money and toys away from the cowards, so be it.
And of course, what would election day in Iraq--the greatest moment in their recent history--be without some nasty swipes by the "Defeatocrats." These people just do not get this. People like Rep. Murtha are pathetic. Whereas I grant this man the honor owed to him for his service as a United States Marine, that is where my respect ends for this man. He has dishonored himself with his defeatist, cut-and-run rhetoric, and I hope that this sort of talk will bite him during his 2006 elections.
WASHINGTON — Rep. John Murtha, the Vietnam War veteran now leading opposition to the Bush administration's "victory plans" in Iraq, said Wednesday that President Bush has failed to prepare the U.S. military adequately for a sustained war.
Using Bush's Wednesday speech in Washington, D.C., as a launching point, Murtha, D-Pa. said, "You've got to believe President Reagan is turning over in his grave."
Murtha said that the Army is at its lowest troop level since 1941, and continues to suffer from a lack of equipment. He said that while Reagan made efforts to ramp up the Armed Forces, he fears that once the war is over the government will fail the military again.
"The minute this confrontation in Iraq is over, they'll start to reduce the money for the military. We won't be able to rehabilitate the military — as President Reagan had to do," he said.
Rep. Murtha forgets who ripped the military apart from 1941 up to the present. It was the same people who have always done it. It was the Democrats. In World War II, over 33 million men were under arms fighting for freedom in Europe and to protect this nation from Japanese Imperialism and Nazi Germany. Funny, we were fighting tyranny over there then, and we had the full support of citizens and politicians. We are fighting tyranny now, and we could not get cohesion from politicians if our lives truly depended on it. I am also offended by a cowardly opportunist like Rep. Murtha invoking the name of Pres. Ronald Reagan--the greatest president of the 20th Century. Pres. Reagan is rolling over in his grave that someone like Rep. Murtha, an opportunist only Sen. McCain could love, would dare use his name in a partisan swipe.
Also, AD in Basra reports this piece of breaking news for Pajamas Media at 6:45 a.m.:
Mr. A’adil al-Lami, a chief official in the IECI announced a few minutes ago that voting time will be extended for another hour (till 6 pm) in every polling center where there are many people still standing in lines when the original closing time of 5 pm was reached.
Mr. Lami confirmed that there have been some major violations in Kirkuk but most of them taken care of and corrected.
No official figures on turnout till now but it is believed to be higher than that of January.
First of all, in regards to the violations, no society is perfect. This just goes to show that despite all the precautions taken, despite all people, some things happen. No one said this was going to go off perfectly. As a matter of fact, we all said that we hoped and prayed everything would go all right.
Second, I hope the turnout sends a clear message to Pres. Bush's detractors. These people believe in this mission as much as he does, and as much as the troops do.
The Bunny ;)
It seems as though the lovely ladies of the Asylum are large and in charge this morning. Yes, we are awake and on our second pot of coffee. Sabrina did a great job of grabbing up all the latest news from Pajamas Media. I am looking at the news stories around the Internet.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C178770%2C00.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi election commission extended voting by one more hour because of high turnout in the country's historic parliamentary elections Thursday.
The high voter turnout was due, in part, to large numbers of Sunni Arabs showing up at some of the country's 33,000 polling stations; many Sunnis boycotted elections earlier this year.
U.S. officials also say that what's needed is a government capable of reconciling Iraq's disparate groups. The Americans also want to avoid protracted negotiations to choose a new prime minister and cabinet — a process that dragged on for three months after the last vote.
"This is the day to get our revenge on Saddam," said Kurdish voter Chiman Saleh, a Kirkuk housewife who said two of her brothers were killed by the ousted regime. Voter turnout was brisk in the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, especially in Kurdish districts.
Iraqis do not vote for individual candidates, but instead for lists — or tickets — that compete for the seats in each of the 18 provinces.
An alliance of Shiite religious parties, which dominate the current government, was expected to win the largest number of seats — but not enough to form a new administration without a coalition with rival groups. That could set the stage for lengthy and possibly bitter negotiations to produce a government.
In Fallujah, the former Sunni insurgent stronghold overrun by U.S. forces in November 2004, hundreds packed a high school polling station, with many saying they saw the vote as a way to not only get rid of the Americans but to also get rid of the Shiite-dominated government.
"It's an extremist government [and] we would like an end to the occupation," said Ahmed Majid, 31. "Really the only true solution is through politics. But there is the occupation and the only way that will end is with weapons."
Even in insurgent bastions such as Ramadi and Haqlaniyah, Sunnis were turning out in large numbers.
"I came here and voted in order to prove that Sunnis are not a minority in this country," said lawyer Yahya Abdul-Jalil in Ramadi. "We lost a lot during the last elections, but this time we will take our normal and key role in leading this country."
Teacher Khalid Fawaz in Fallujah said he also participated "so that the Sunnis are no longer marginalized."
And 28-year-old college student Yassin Mohammed Samarra said he voted so that "no particular [religious] sect controls the country."
The big turnout in Fallujah also caused problems, with voters, election officials and the mayor complaining of a shortage of ballot boxes and ballots.
Mayor Dhari Youssef al-Arsan, who put turnout at about 45 percent, said 11 out of 35 polling stations did not get ballot boxes and some ran out of ballots in the early hours of voting.
"Three sites stopped because they ran out of ballots," he said. "We had an administrative problem opening polling sites in some of the centers."
He said some of the voters told him that "they thought it was done purposely."
Those must be the Democrats in Iraq. Just kidding. All seems to be going well. This idea that the Sunnis are being frozen out is foolish at best. Had they actually participated in January, the polling places might have been more prepared for the overwhelming numbers. Further, we can see by their comments that they still think they can gain the power and prestige they had under Saddam Hussein. I do not think that is a wise thing for them to be looking for. They should be looking to help with the leading of their nation, not their own petty interests. This election is about the future of Iraq, not the future of the Sunnis who feel slighted because the days of wine and roses are over.
Meanwhile, over in France, the surrender patrol netted an interesting find.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178771,00.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq — French counterterrorism agents on Thursday arrested three people suspected of belonging to a terror group with "indirect links" to al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a police spokeswoman said.
The roundup near Paris came in connection with a similar sweep Monday near the capital and in the northern Oise region which netted 25 suspects, said national police spokeswoman Catherine Casteran.
The three were believed to be part of a terror ring with "indirect links" to al-Zarqawi, she said.
During the overnight sweep, police found a stash of weapons in a garage in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, said a police investigator who cannot be identified because his agency does not authorize it.
They found several pounds of explosives, AK-47 and Famas assault rifles, revolvers, ammunition, balaclavas and bulletproof vests, he said.
Investigators believe the weapons were used to carry out armed robberies in France to finance jihad, or holy war, and that some of the funds may have gone to al-Zarqawi's group.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, described a web of links between the alleged network in France — which police say included both Islamic militants and common criminals — and other terror cells and groups, including al-Zarqawi's.
Okay, I get how they can come up with a connection to al-Qaeda and al-Zarqawi, but did it occur to the surrender monkeys that this could also have been tied to their recent rash of riots? There were Muslim youths that were firing weapons on citizens, and even on French police. But hey, if they can tie it to al-Zarqawi, and they take some money and toys away from the cowards, so be it.
And of course, what would election day in Iraq--the greatest moment in their recent history--be without some nasty swipes by the "Defeatocrats." These people just do not get this. People like Rep. Murtha are pathetic. Whereas I grant this man the honor owed to him for his service as a United States Marine, that is where my respect ends for this man. He has dishonored himself with his defeatist, cut-and-run rhetoric, and I hope that this sort of talk will bite him during his 2006 elections.
WASHINGTON — Rep. John Murtha, the Vietnam War veteran now leading opposition to the Bush administration's "victory plans" in Iraq, said Wednesday that President Bush has failed to prepare the U.S. military adequately for a sustained war.
Using Bush's Wednesday speech in Washington, D.C., as a launching point, Murtha, D-Pa. said, "You've got to believe President Reagan is turning over in his grave."
Murtha said that the Army is at its lowest troop level since 1941, and continues to suffer from a lack of equipment. He said that while Reagan made efforts to ramp up the Armed Forces, he fears that once the war is over the government will fail the military again.
"The minute this confrontation in Iraq is over, they'll start to reduce the money for the military. We won't be able to rehabilitate the military — as President Reagan had to do," he said.
Rep. Murtha forgets who ripped the military apart from 1941 up to the present. It was the same people who have always done it. It was the Democrats. In World War II, over 33 million men were under arms fighting for freedom in Europe and to protect this nation from Japanese Imperialism and Nazi Germany. Funny, we were fighting tyranny over there then, and we had the full support of citizens and politicians. We are fighting tyranny now, and we could not get cohesion from politicians if our lives truly depended on it. I am also offended by a cowardly opportunist like Rep. Murtha invoking the name of Pres. Ronald Reagan--the greatest president of the 20th Century. Pres. Reagan is rolling over in his grave that someone like Rep. Murtha, an opportunist only Sen. McCain could love, would dare use his name in a partisan swipe.
Also, AD in Basra reports this piece of breaking news for Pajamas Media at 6:45 a.m.:
Mr. A’adil al-Lami, a chief official in the IECI announced a few minutes ago that voting time will be extended for another hour (till 6 pm) in every polling center where there are many people still standing in lines when the original closing time of 5 pm was reached.
Mr. Lami confirmed that there have been some major violations in Kirkuk but most of them taken care of and corrected.
No official figures on turnout till now but it is believed to be higher than that of January.
First of all, in regards to the violations, no society is perfect. This just goes to show that despite all the precautions taken, despite all people, some things happen. No one said this was going to go off perfectly. As a matter of fact, we all said that we hoped and prayed everything would go all right.
Second, I hope the turnout sends a clear message to Pres. Bush's detractors. These people believe in this mission as much as he does, and as much as the troops do.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 9:28 AM
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