Iraq elections are in trouble, Bush admits

[leftchick]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1410635,00.html

<snip>

President Bush today gave his most downbeat assessment yet of the situation in Iraq, acknowledging for the first time today that insurgent attacks were having an effect on the organisation of free and fair elections there next month.

At his end-of-year news conference at the White House, Mr Bush said he expected the parliamentary elections to go ahead, but warned Americans that they were just "the beginning of a process".

"No question about it. The bombers are having an effect," Mr Bush said. "They're trying to shake the will of the Iraqi people and frankly trying to shake the will of the American people.

"I’m confident that the terrorists will fail, the elections will go forward, and Iraq will be a democracy that reflects the values and traditions of its people."

But he added: "The elections in January are the beginning of a process and it is important for the American people to understand that...I don't express that process to be trouble-free."

[Earth_First]

1. "the beginning of a process".

:puke:

[wtmusic]

10. the morph begins

kindalike 'WMDs' into 'weapons programs' :eyes:

[VolcanoJen]

13. Soon they'll call it "election-related activities."

:eyes:

[saigon68]

18. Here's a Few election related activities to ponder (graphic)

WHAT COUNTRY CAN HAVE ELECTIONS

WHEN THEY CAN'T EVEN POLICE UP THE CORPSES, THE DOGS ARE DEVOURING
IN THE STREETS?




A stray dog dines on the dome of an Iraqi corpse.




The Work of Dogs stripping the meat from a Burnt Iraqi Corpse

(Lassie dines on a classy Iraqi)


WHAT COUNTRY CAN HAVE AN ELECTION WHEN ITS ELECTION WORKERS ARE
BRAZENLY EXECUTED IN BROAD DAY LIGHT



[leftchick]

20. I wonder if that execution made the US tv news....

I saw it on Canadian news. I doubt it could get through the USA's iron curtain.

[saigon68]

27. Nothing about it on the News --- just drivel ie-"Freedom Is on the March"

Censorship. They don't want to awaken the sheep from their sound slumber at Christ's Day

[ahimsa]

24. That's ok..

..he doesn't "express that process" either. :eyes:

[ET Awful]

2. For it to represent the values and traditions of its people,

wouldn't it need to be a primarily Shiite theocracy?

[leftchick]

4. yup!

and it just may well end up that way!

[Igel]

37. Which people? There are numerous. n/t

[iconoclastic cat]

3. Man, I would not want to be an Iraqi poll worker next month.

I have a very, very bad feeling about the level of violence on that day.

[byronm]

5. I'd hate to be in iraq

period

[cliss]

46. The Iraqis probably will be a no-show.

That's my bet right now. The Iraqis have gotten the word that anyone who shows up at a polling booth will be assassinated. Period. Who are they doing this for, anyway? For Ayad Allawi? That thug. They wouldn't risk their lives for him.

That's why Bush appeared on TV looking so glum. Up till now, Bush has been maniacally upbeat about everything that's happened over there. A bombing? Freedom is exploding over there. 100,000 people killed? They're just making way for the New, Free Iraq. Just you watch.

I couldn't believe the photo that was posted with this article in Yahoo. Bush had huge bags on top of and under his eyes. His face looked puffy, like he'd been crying for 1/2 hour (a record for him).

The White House has now gotten the scoop: THE ELECTION WON'T HAPPEN, in spite of the fact that they've bulldozed their plans amid warnings that it's too dangerous right now, people are getting blown up left and right.

Masters though they are of electioneering (they could show 1 polling place and use it as a representative of the entire Iraq --what the hell do the Americans know, anyway?), this one is going to be too difficult for them to pull off.

They succeeded here in the US, but Iraq is just a little too difficult for them to swing. There will be maybe 100 people voting. The world will gasp in shock. The US will not believe the spin this time.

After all, this election is for the Americans, not the Iraqis. It's a little sideshow to give us the image that things are democratic over there.

[Hand]

6. All together now... 1, 2, 3...

DUH!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. You think?

By the way, dime on the dollar, Allawi wins...

[jimshoes]

21. And by 115%

of the vote too!

[JohnnyRingo]

8. A couple months ago "Freedom was on the march"

....Now it's limping along.

[w13rd0]

17. Freedom is in full retreat...

...in Iraq, and around the globe, here in the US of A...

[LynnTheDem]

9. "I'm confidant the Iraqis will greet us as liberators".

And I'm confidant everything bush ever says is 100% wrong.

[KansDem]

11. Whaaat?! This from Times'"POTY"???

Why doesn't he just "fix" it, just like he intends to "fix" Social Security?

I thought there wasn't ANYTHING "Mr. Moraler" couldn't do...:crazy:

[6000eliot]

12. They knew this would happen

They probably had the whole narrative planned. They were lying to us in advance of our phony election about Iraq's phony election. The sad thing is that so many of us fell for their lies.

[Zhade]

23. Don't include ME in that "us".

I've been saying this since before the illegal invasion, and all during the illegal occupation, even when some DEMS were all for staying and getting "peace with honor" or some similar fantasy.

[driver8]

29. Or me!

I have been against this farce from day one. I have never felt that we needed to stay for "peace" or "honor" or any other bullshit.

Thanks to Shrubya for stating the obvious. Elections in Iraq will be a bigger joke than the election in the US -- if that's possible.

[leftchick]

25. I don't believe anyone here "fell for their lies"

you need to use caution with that word 'us'.

[saigon68]

30. I'M NOT PART OF THAT "US"

A lot of here at DU called It Iraq-Nam from the beginning. And shouted -----it was an "OILY" War for Halliburton and corporate interests.

[girl gone mad]

47. Yes, there were many many people critical of this war..

from the very earliest stages. Educated and knowledgeable people warned against an invasion, stated that Saddam was not a serious or urgent threat to our national security and cautioned that the war could be lengthy and costly.

Yet the MSM continues to discount and ignore opposition viewpoints with patently false assertions such as "No one could have predicted that the war would drag on this long," and "Everyone thought Saddam was in possession of WMDs before the war."

[librarycard]

14. *sigh*

*

[PunkPop]

15. Which 'bombers' is he referring to? n/t

[leftchick]

16. good question

there are many more US 'bombers' in Iraq right now.

[tabasco]

38. He wants everybody to think the problems are caused by ...

crazy suicide bombers. He forgets to mention the thousands of Iraqi guerilla infantry that fight our troops every day. Yep, just a few crazy Saddam loyalists and dead enders. Not a widespread movement.

Simple propaganda and outright lies.

But I'm glad Tommy Franks got a Freedom Medal for leaving 400 tons of high explosive unguarded so "the bombers" have plenty to work with.

[leftchick]

42. No One mentions that anymore! WTF? Guess where they came from???

<snip>

(CNN) -- The disappearance of nearly 380 tons of sophisticated explosives in Iraq remained in question Tuesday and continued to be an issue in the presidential campaign.

The day after the Bush campaign pointed to an NBC report to quash the story, the network reporter who visited the Al Qaqaa weapons depot with American soldiers in April 2003 played down their role at the facility.

Pentagon officials acknowledged there was a window of about six weeks after the invasion of Iraq when the stockpile could have been stolen from the sprawling facility near Baghdad.

They argued it is more likely, however, that the explosives were moved before the war began March 19, 2003.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/26/iraq.explosives/

[tabasco]

43. The "arguments" that the HE disappeared before the war ...

quickly dissipated after the video of the ammo depot with UN seals intact surfaced.

Tommy Franks knew about that facility before we set foot in Iraq and he did nothing to secure it. As an Army officer with experience in planning, I find this oversight close to criminal negligence.

But Bush, Rice & Rummy had everyone wrapped around the axle about WMD and I guess Franks forgot that bullets and dynamite kill too. Idiot. And Bush rewards his incompetence with a medal.

These are crazy times and the inmates are running the asylum.

[StClone]

19. "Iraqi insurgents are mistaken"

No Mr. bush you are mistaken, you are always mistaken. You broke it now make it better as I am sure you can't. If "if and buts were candy and nuts"... and which of these has Bush claimed will be found in Iraq? WMDs, elections and/or Democracy. Three strikes you are out...again.

[Zhade]

22. And so White Man's Burden continues.

Oh, and all DUers who were dumb enough to actually say we should stay so the Iraqis could have "elections" and we could then "leave" - I just shake my head at your naivete.

We ain't leavin' till we get thrown out.

[1gobluedem]

26. Can't he say anything except

'..they're trying to shake our/their will?' What a stupid phrase.

Oh, wait, in the press conference today * did say something else, I remember now '..fighting a war is hard work.'

Honestly.

[Glenda]

35. You're kidding! He's still saying "hard work?" n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

39. He said that?

How the hell would AWOL know that?

[DFWJock]

28. Bush solution:

Stay the course.

[Disturbed]

31. The Iraq Solution.

Turn Iraq into the Warsaw Ghetto as Fallouja is turning into.

[CoffeeCat]

32. Translating Bush...

Translation of Bush comments,

"All hell is breaking loose. Please look the other way. Pay no attention to the fact that everything after the march to Baghdad was unanticipated by this administration. We expected the skies to be raining with flowers. Instead we got this violence. Continue to ignore reality. Just keep Christmas shopping and stringing up those icicle lights. Nothing to see here, folks!"

[BeHereNow]

33. What a BRILLIANT man he is!

Golly George, ya think?

I can just see him now, stomping around
in his little cowboy boots,
"I want those elections no matter WHAT!
Do you hear me? You pull off those elections or ELSE!
Daddy!!! I want my elections! Nowwww-wah!"

Ewww, the thought makes me
PUKE!
bhn

[driver8]

44. But daddy, I want an oompah lumpa now!!!!!

Your description of Shrub reminds me of Veruca Salt in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." * is just a little boy playing "grown up" with the big boys.

How did such a clueless fuck become leader of our country? Bad Karma is coming your way, Karl Rove...

[BeHereNow]

45. Oompa Loompa Listen to Me...

Being a brat is bad policy!
Oompa Loompa
Zippity doo
You'll pay a price
for being a poo...

I have no idea how this man became our pResident...
But you are correct- he is Veronica.
Now why can't he make like a blueberry and ROLL off
screen...
Where's those fucking oompa loompas when you need them?
bhn

[Merlin]

34. "I don't express (sic) that process to be trouble-free"

:dunce:

[MasonJar]

36. Now that the election is over here, and now that the Iraqis have

made it clear that they want US out as soon as the elections, Bush is going to have to backpeddal. He looks more like Nero every day.

[zann725]

40. The U.S. elections are 'trying to shake the will of the American people"

If we can't get it right at home...

[Straight Shooter]

41. Won't shake the will, terrorists will fail, democracy, values, blah blah

blah, blah, blah, blah, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseam