Violence May Force Iraq to Bypass Hotspots in Election

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20040906/ts_latimes/violencemayforceiraqtobypasshotspotsinelection&cid=2026&ncid=1480


<snip>
Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz, operations chief of more than 150,000 mostly U.S. troops, said in an interview that the "cancer" of anti-American militancy in places such as Fallouja would not derail national elections.


A "contingency" plan, Metz said, is to bypass Fallouja — and perhaps other violent enclaves — and concentrate on ensuring electoral security in Baghdad and other population centers where hostility is lower.


"We'd have elections before we let one place like Fallouja stop elections," said Metz, the No. 2 U.S. military official in Iraq. "The rest of the country can go on about a process that heads right for an election."


Still, Metz cautioned that the participation of Iraq's three largest cities — Baghdad, Mosul in the north and Basra in the south — was essential to any election.

[dbt]

1. And then the Regime will claim that the elections were fair.

Riiiiiiiiiiight!

:freak:
dbt

[NewHampshireDem]

2. I wonder if they'd support the same here?

Let's let LA, NYC, Boston, Detroit, Miami, and Chicago decide the next presidential election. Afterall, it'll be easier to ensure a fair an accurate vote in just a few cities than in rural places. :eyes:

[MrPrax]

9. No way...

Places like Boston, NYC and LA are "hotspots" to be bypassed;
places where "hostility is lower" would include Billings, Terre Haute, Charlotte and Dallas...

[Junkdrawer]

10. See post #8...Great Daily Show satire n/t

[VolcanoJen]

3. The cancer is growing, Lt. General.

At least six US Marines killed in Fallujah ambush

[leftchick]

4. Well Mosul is not looking very "secure" these days either....

An armed insurgent keeps guard near houses destroyed in fighting and U.S airstrikes at Tal Afar, near Mosul, northern Iraq (news - web sites), Sunday Sept. 5, 2004. At least eight people have died and more than 50 were injured in two days of fierce gunbattles since U.S and Iraqi forces launched an operation to flush out a militant cell allegedly smuggling men and arms in from Syria. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ibrahim)

[Jacobin]

5. Cool way to disenfranchise 60% of the population

The six largest cities don't get to vote. Anyone out in the desert who has been cleared to vote for America's puppet gets to cast a ballot.

How convenient for the conquistadors

[Junkdrawer]

8. Life imitates satire - Rob Corddry's 'Delayed Election?'...

http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/videos_corr.jhtml?p=corddry

[Alpharetta]

6. Sadr City, a slum of 2,000,000 people

One third the city of Baghdad is in full uprising.

You think they'll vote?

[Cocoa]

7. what does an American general have to do with Iraqi elections?

I thought they were sovereign?

[daleo]

11. This sounds like a "convenience sample"

Definitely a no-no in polling and certainly illegal in an election. Leave it to BFEE.