Article

2005-01-12 Iraq-Jordan

Fallujah, Sadr City await Iraqi elections

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Posted by Dan Darling 2005-01-12 12:34:02 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "Professor Abdul Ahab al-Qassab, a political scientist at Baghdad University, says that, before Fallujah, Sunnis thought of themselves as Iraqis and were ready to share power."

I call BULLSH*T on this one. They were NOT ready to share power - the only way they can concieve of usign power is to suppress and abuse. The Batthists and Sunnis ahve been doing it that way fdor a generation in modern Iraq, so thats why they are behaving the way they are - they think the Shia and Kurds are going to do to the Sunnis, what the Sunnis have been doing to them for 30+ years.

Posted by OldSpook 2005-01-12 10:37:45 AM|| 2005-01-12 10:37:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 MSM reporters - are they just stupid, or do they drink too much?

Posted by 2b 2005-01-12 10:47:26 AM|| 2005-01-12 10:47:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Elections? "I need somebody to give me what I need, then I can elect him," he says. "Give me my house. Give me the gas, electricity. The water. Whom shall I elect?" These are elections "in which there is no possible victorious party," he adds. Without significant Sunni participation, "all are losers."

Sorry bud, but nobody gets something for nothing. And just to be sure, without significant Sunni participation, it is the Sunnis that will lose, not "all".

But many moderate Sunnis are both frightened about returning and humiliated as a result of the Fallujah offensive, says Rand al-Azzawi, a Baghdad University researcher...

Humiliated? Cry me a phuquing river.

.."If I go participate (in the election) now, conservatives will tell me, âYou are joining a process by the occupier,â " she says.

Why should you give a rat's ass about what someone else says (most likely a cleric, or fundie)? How about thinking for yourself for once?

But it came at a political cost. Sunnis across Iraq cite Fallujah as one of the reasons to boycott the elections.

A price, however high, that was worth the expenditure. Phuque with the U.S. long enough, and you'll reap the consequences. Don't wanna participate in the elections? Oh well. Your loss.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-12 1:49:53 PM|| 2005-01-12 1:49:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Amazing how the civic improvements dry up when you keep shooting at the improvers, ain't it?

Posted by mojo 2005-01-12 3:16:08 PM|| 2005-01-12 3:16:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Again, we see that the Shia area is ready for elections, and the Sunni can't be bothered...

Posted by Seafarious 2005-01-12 3:28:41 PM|| 2005-01-12 3:28:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 I wouldnt have expected support for elections in Fallujah, and dont much care. OTOH it would be VERY helpful to have SOME Sunni Arab participation somewhere. Earlier poll said about one third of Sunni Arabs will vote. Looks like almost none in Anbar province, or in Mosul/Ninevehe province. But probably a significant number in Baghdad will, and some other areas.

Likely this will be enough to keep some positive momentum going, but not nearly as much as we would have hoped. The new govt will have acceptance from much of the world, including the Shia popu of Iraq, and even from the Euros i think, but not much from Sunnis around the arab world, or in Iraq. However as the train pulls out of the station some Sunni Arabs may start trying to get on board. It will be worthwhile to let them do so, even if they were obstructionist earlier.

Its gonna be a long hard slog, but I do think the elections will help.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-01-12 4:09:03 PM|| 2005-01-12 4:09:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 "Professor Abdul Ahab al-Qassab, a political scientist at Baghdad University, says that, before Fallujah, Sunnis thought of themselves as Iraqis and were ready to share power."

I call BULLSH*T on this one. They were NOT ready to share power - the only way they can concieve of usign power is to suppress and abuse. The Batthists and Sunnis ahve been doing it that way fdor a generation in modern Iraq, so thats why they are behaving the way they are - they think the Shia and Kurds are going to do to the Sunnis, what the Sunnis have been doing to them for 30+ years.

Posted by OldSpook 2005-01-12 10:37:45 AM|| 2005-01-12 10:37:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by OldSpook 2005-01-12 10:37:45 AM|| 2005-01-12 10:37:45 AM|| Front Page Top

00:08 Sock Puppet of Doom
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