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| Iraq-Jordan | ||||
| Bush Declares Iraq Election a Success | ||||
| 2005-01-31 | ||||
| WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush called Sunday's elections in Iraq a success and promised the United States will continue trying to prepare Iraqis to secure their own country. ``The world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East,'' Bush told reporters at the White House on Sunday, four hours after the polls closed. He did not take questions after his three-minute statement. Bush praised the bravery of Iraqis who turned out to vote despite continuing violence and intimidation. Bush said voters ``firmly rejected the antidemocratic ideology'' of terrorists. Iraqis defied threats of violence and calls for a boycott to cast ballots in their first free election in a half-century Sunday. Insurgents struck polling stations with a string of suicide bombings and mortar volleys, killing at least 44 people, including nine suicide bombers. ``Some Iraqis were killed while exercising their rights as citizens,'' Bush said. He also mourned the loss of American and British troops killed Sunday. Bush cautioned that the election will not end violence in Iraq, but said U.S. forces will continue training and helping Iraqis ``so this rising democracy can eventually take responsibility for its own security.'' In a statement Sunday, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass, said Bush ``must look beyond the election.''
Rice would not say whether U.S. forces will leave the country in great numbers after the vote, and Bush did not mention any U.S. military withdrawals. Rice said the election went better than expected, but did not elaborate on U.S. predictions for turnout, violence or other measures. In Iraq, officials said turnout among the 14 million eligible voters appeared higher than the 57 percent they had predicted. Complete voting results are not expected for days. Polls were largely deserted all day in many cities of the Sunni Triangle. In Baghdad's mainly Sunni Arab area of Azamiyah, the neighborhood's four polling centers did not open at all, residents said. A low Sunni turnout could undermine the new government and worsen tensions among the country's ethnic, religious and cultural groups.
``It is hard to say that something is legitimate when whole portions of the country can't vote and doesn't vote,'' Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said on NBC's ``Meet The Press.'' Even with lower turnout among Sunni Arabs, the government can be representative of all Iraqis, Rice said. She also downplayed concerns that a Shiite-dominated government will morph into a theocracy. ``I'm sure that they will have a healthy debate about the role of Islam, about the role of religion in that society,'' Rice said on CNN's ``Late Edition.''
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #7 Yes, "J" is special --- in the short bus sort of way. Although, I think I just insulted the short bus passengers with that comparison. |
| Posted by: Spemble Whains2886 2005-01-31 4:15:13 PM |
| #6 Ah, so "J" is a Kool Aid addict. Shoulda guessed - er, actually I did guess, but was reserving the post until proof arrived. What flavor is it today, "J"? Huckleberry? Got any spiffy DUmmy Dhimmi Talking Points / Memes you'd like to share? Even freshly-minted memes can be fun. You see, you've just proven, yet again, RC's Good News Theorem: When there is Good News, the fuckwits come out of the woodwork to post. Thanks, he'll be pleased to know it still holds. Prolly ought to upgrade it from a theorem to a SocioFascistIslamoBat™ Law. Yeah, I think I will. Again, thanks for sharing, you're so special. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-31 2:04:05 PM |
| #5 Hush J, you're a troll. |
| Posted by: Q 2005-01-31 1:59:51 PM |
| #4 "President Bush called Sunday's elections in Iraq a success" This is like declaring an end of major combat operations. Yeah, right. And then 1000 more US troops were killed. |
| Posted by: J 2005-01-31 1:55:09 PM |
| #3 JFK: "It's hard to say that I am a legitimate human being when whole portions or my brain are not functioning." |
| Posted by: HV 2005-01-31 7:37:48 AM |
| #2 ...If John Kerry only knew how to fold underware he could quit the Senate and get a real job! |
| Posted by: Saddam 2005-01-31 1:54:56 AM |
| #1 Meanwhile, former President Jimmy Carter said the Iraqi elections validated the legitimacy of Yassir Arafat's leadership. Informed that Arafat was dead (and that Carter himself had visited the grave), he shrugged and said "Maybe it was Castro. He kinda looks like Arafat. It's the beard...". |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-01-31 12:40:22 AM |