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BAGHDAD, Iraq — "Iraqis have proved today that the strength of their votes are more powerful than the strength or the effects of bullets or terrorism," said interim Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim Jafari, January 30. Government officials said that while there were incidents of violence in the country, Iraqi security forces were able to handle them. Officials said the voter turnout was strong and was "getting stronger" The Iraqis showed their determination in the face of terrorism. In Baghdad, a suicide bomber launched an attack near the al Iskand Children’s Hospital, and succeeded only in killing himself, officials said. Local Iraqis on their way to vote spit on the body. A snapshot of voting around the country showed strong turnout in the northeast and south. In Ninewa province, there were no major incidents and Iraqis lined up to vote. What seems to have occurred is that members of a family went out to check the polling place. Then, when there were no incidents, the rest of the voters in the family came out, officials said.
In Baghdad, some Iraqis walked 20 kilometers to vote, and the insurgents fired across the Tigris River to try to intimidate voters, were themselves attacked by Iraqis who refused to be intimidated, officials said. There was violence, officials said, but it was isolated. There were other instances of suicide bombings and one vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated. Insurgents fired some mortars in Baghdad and other areas. Western reporters said that by 1:30 p.m., January 30 there were 13 deaths nationwide tied to the elections. Mandia Husseini, a member of the Independent Election Commission of Iraq, congratulated the Iraqi people as they went to the polling centers. "This is a momentous phase the Iraqi people are going through," Husseini said through a translator. "We are all united in our one aim to help our beloved country." Government spokesman Tha’ir al-Naqeeb used an old voting ballot from Saddam Hussein’s regime as a vivid example of the type of change sweeping the country. The old slip had one box, with one party. Today’s voting slip gives Iraqis hundreds of choices. "Today is a great day for Iraq and Iraqis," al-Naqeeb said January 30. "Today we determine our future for ourselves for the first time. "Us Iraqis will be voting in our millions across Iraq," he continued. "This is a great and a proud day for Iraqis." Articles Related to the Iraqi Elections: **
Rumsfeld: Overcoming Insurgency Key to Iraq Assuming
Security Mission Rumsfeld: Overcoming Insurgency Key to Iraq Assuming Security Mission
Feb. 6. 2005 — It’s impossible to know exactly when Iraq’s security forces will be fully ready to take over their country’s internal security and the coalition can leave Iraq, but several factors will play a role, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during interviews on the Sunday morning talk shows. The secretary said during interviews with four networks that the Iraqi security forces’ readiness will depend largely on the insurgency. And affecting its effectiveness will be the extent to which the political process will "tip people" toward supporting the new government, actions by Iran and Syria, and the money sources that bankroll terrorist activities. "Economic progress [and the] political progress going forward…will determine the level of the insurgency, and the level of the insurgency will determine the speed with which Iraqi security forces will be capable of managing [their internal security]," Rumsfeld said on ABC’s "This Week." Rumsfeld reiterated that this condition, rather than an artificial timetable, will be key in determining when coalition forces will withdraw from Iraq. Iraq’s Jan. 30 elections proved to be a solid step forward for the country that Rumsfeld said he hopes will garner increased support for new government. But still uncertain, he told ABC, is the extent to which "the political process is going to tip people away from supporting [the] insurgency or being on the fence to supporting the government." Nevertheless, the secretary said he believes the election "had to have given heart and encouragement and inspiration to the Iraqi people," he told CBS’ "Face the Nation." Rumsfeld told ABC it’s unknown if Iraq’s neighbors Iran and Syria are "going to be helpful or unhelpful" as Iraq strives to overcome the insurgency. Both are being decidedly "unhelpful" right now, he acknowledged on CBS, which he said could further inflame the situation and "makes our task more difficult in Iraq." The secretary said he supports diplomatic efforts under way to encourage Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons efforts, which, if successful, would pose a destabilizing force throughout the region. Current knowledge is that Iran is on a path of seeking a nuclear weapon but don’t have yet have it, the secretary told CNN’s "Late Edition." Rumsfeld said the United States is hopeful that the Iraqi people will continue striving toward President Bush’s stated vision for that country: "an Iraq that is liberated, at peace with its neighbors, respectful of all the elements within the county and not engaged in terrorist activities with lethal weapons." He said the United States will support whatever outcome the Iraqis decide in forming their new government, and said it’s doubtful that the country will opt for a strict Islamic theocracy like Iran’s. Iraq has "a wonderful opportunity," ahead, Rumsfeld told NBC’s "Meet the Press." "It has water, it has oil, it has intelligent people, and I think they have a good future." And the recent elections "have to give everyone great encouragement," he said. "I just hope and pray that they stay on a path that is constructive. It will be a wonderful thing for the Iraqi people and a wonderful thing for the region." Rumsfeld told CBS he’s a firm believer that "the sweep of human history is for freedom." "People want to be free," he said. "And that’s a powerful force." President Praises Iraqis for Successful Election
Jan. 30, 2005 — President Bush praised Iraqis for their courage and commitment in the face of threats and violence, which made elections possible throughout their country. "In great numbers, and under great risk, Iraqis have shown their commitment to democracy. By participating in free elections, the Iraqi people have firmly rejected the anti-democratic ideology of the terrorists. They have refused to be intimidated by thugs and assassins," Bush said in a statement from the White House. "The Iraqi people themselves made this election a resounding success," he added. "Brave patriots stepped forward as candidates." Other citizens volunteered as poll workers and more than 100,000 Iraqi security troops guarded polling places and conducted operations against terrorist groups, he said. The president seemed touched by stories of the courage of ordinary Iraqis who defied threats and went to polls. Bush quoted one man who lost a leg in a terrorist attack, yet still went out to vote. "I would have crawled here if I had to," he quoted the Iraqi man as saying. "I don’t want terrorists to kill other Iraqis like they tried to kill me. Today, I am voting for peace." In comments from London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair also seemed touched by events in Iraq. Despite divided opinions over the war in Iraq, Blair said he knows people throughout the world "will want to embrace the birth of Iraq’s new democracy." "It may have been the force of arms that removed Saddam that created the circumstances in which Iraqis could vote," he said, "but it was the force of freedom that was felt throughout Iraq today." The prime minister said he found it "moving and humbling, for those of us lucky enough to live in a democracy and take it for granted." Blair spoke of "the enthusiasm, the simple determination, the clear sight of courage of millions of Iraqis that came out to vote for the first time in their lives despite the terrorism, despite the threats, despite the dangers." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Iraqi people "turned away the threats and intimidation" leveled at them by Jordanian terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. "They decided to go to the polls and vote because they believe that’s the way to a better future," Rice said in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Rice said that scattered violence and intimidation that might have kept Iraq’s minority Sunni Muslim population from voting in as high percentages as other populations doesn’t mean Sunnis won’t be fairly represented in the new government. And "very real" problems between ethnic groups don’t mean Iraq can’t have a peaceful, representative government. "I hope, given our own history of ups and downs as we moved forward to build our own democracy, that we will show greater faith and confidence in these people who are showing us that they want to get there," she said. Bush praised international assistance that made elections in Iraq possible. "The European Union and the United Nations gave important assistance in the election process," the president said. "The American military and our diplomats, working with our coalition partners, have been skilled and relentless, and their sacrifices have helped to bring Iraqis to this day." Blair echoed those sentiments. "I would like to pay tribute to the United Nations staff and the electoral commission of Iraq for their steadfastness in organizing the elections, and I would like to express, of course, my admiration for the work of the Iraqi and the multinational forces," he said. "Without them, there would be no election." The White House Statement by the President on the Iraqi Election The Cross Hall
THE PRESIDENT: Today the people of Iraq have spoken to the world, and the world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East. In great numbers, and under great risk, Iraqis have shown their commitment to democracy. By participating in free elections, the Iraqi people have firmly rejected the anti-democratic ideology of the terrorists. They have refused to be intimidated by thugs and assassins. And they have demonstrated the kind of courage that is always the foundation of self-government. Some Iraqis were killed while exercising their rights as citizens. We also mourn the American and British military personnel who lost their lives today. Their sacrifices were made in a vital cause of freedom, peace in a troubled region, and a more secure future for us all. The Iraqi people, themselves, made this election a resounding success. Brave patriots stepped forward as candidates. Many citizens volunteered as poll workers. More than 100,000 Iraqi security force personnel guarded polling places and conducted operations against terrorist groups. One news account told of a voter who had lost a leg in a terror attack last year, and went to the polls today, despite threats of violence. He said, "I would have crawled here if I had to. I don’t want terrorists to kill other Iraqis like they tried to kill me. Today I am voting for peace." Across Iraq today, men and women have taken rightful control of their country’s destiny, and they have chosen a future of freedom and peace. In this process, Iraqis have had many friends at their side. The European Union and the United Nations gave important assistance in the election process. The American military and our diplomats, working with our coalition partners, have been skilled and relentless, and their sacrifices have helped to bring Iraqis to this day. The people of the United States have been patient and resolute, even in difficult days. The commitment to a free Iraq now goes forward. This historic election begins the process of drafting and ratifying a new constitution, which will be the basis of a fully democratic Iraqi government. Terrorists and insurgents will continue to wage their war against democracy, and we will support the Iraqi people in their fight against them. We will continue training Iraqi security forces so this rising democracy can eventually take responsibility for its own security. There’s more distance to travel on the road to democracy. Yet Iraqis are proving they’re equal to the challenge. On behalf of the American people, I congratulate the people of Iraq on this great and historic achievement. Thank you very much. END 1:05 P.M. EST
Blair:
Democracy in Iraq a Blow to
Jan. 30, 2005 — The rise of democracy in Iraq is a "blow right to the heart of the global terrorism," a major American ally said. In remarks in London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the successful elections in Iraq will prove to harm the global terrorism movement that "threatens destruction not just in Iraq but in Britain and virtually every major country around the world." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the costs in money and lives are worth it to bring democracy to Iraq. Americans learned "a very important lesson" on the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, she said. "The status quo in the Middle East was not sustainable," Rice said in an afternoon interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. "It was producing an ideology of hatred that had people drive airplanes into our buildings." She said Americans learned they must "deal with that and build a different kind of Middle East, or we’re going to be fighting terrorists long beyond our lifetimes." Two Americans died in a mortar attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on the eve of the elections, and an unknown number of British servicemembers died in the crash of a C-130 airplane outside Baghdad. U.S. military statistics put the total American military deaths in Iraq at 1,411 as of Jan. 28. "Obviously we mourn every death," Rice said. "Unfortunately, nothing of value is ever won without sacrifice. Our hope is that as the political process moves forward, as it has begun to move forward today, as Iraqis take more responsibility for their own future — both politically and in security terms – – that the insurgency will begin to lose some of its steam." Blair said the next step in Iraq will be to help the new Iraqi government that will grow from the elections. "What we now have to do is sit down with the new Iraqi government once it’s formed and work out a way forward to help Iraqis’ democracy grow," he said, "to build the capability of Iraqis’ security forces, to tackle the issues of security themselves, to ensure that the large sums of money that the global community is providing set aside for reconstruction are used to make the lives of ordinary Iraqis better." Iraqi
Election Offices Ready for Vote –
Chief district warehouse manager, Mohammed Jasm, has supervised the distribution of over a million ballots in the last four days with nearly 100 laborers working feverishly to get the ballots out before elections on Sunday. “All my worries will be over when this is done so that we can get rid of Saddam and all the Wahabi’s,” Jasm said. Representatives have been drawing their election kits for the polling sites and preparing for the first free elections in Iraq since 1944. Though the U.N. will not sanction the highly profiled elections, the world organization did provide kits and ballots for the historical event. Security remains the top issue for election day, but Iraqi and American forces are promising a strong presence on streets and around polling sites to help protect those who want to vote. Polling stations and roads have been blockaded to prevent attacks by suicide bombers. While some citizens are fearful, others are eager to establish a legitimate government and move the country forward. “We will not be selfish,” Jasm said. “We will sacrifice ourselves for this country.” Soldiers
Detain Two Individuals Suspected of
The suspects were detained at a check point where their names were matched to a list of suspects. The two men are being held for further questioning. |
