Hundreds of Arabs, Turkmen demonstrate in disputed Iraq oil city (Kirkuk)

[leftchick]

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?ID=37245

KIRKUK, Iraq, Feb 11 (AFP) - Hundreds of Arab and Turkmen protestors took to the streets of Iraq's disputed northern oil city of Kirkuk Friday, charging that last month's election had been riddled with fraud and demanding a re-run.

"No, no to federalism! No, no to fraud!", chanted the demonstrators, who gathered in the city centre before heading south to march past the offices of the two main Kurdish parties.

Kurds want Kirkuk to be made the capital of an enlarged autonomous region, and thousands of Kurds who were displaced from the city under Saddam Hussein were allowed to vote two weeks ago.

<snip>

"We ask for new elections to be held in Kirkuk to guarantee they are transparent, because Kirkuk is on the edge of a flaming pit," the document said.

[Cocoa]

1. these naysayers obviously didn't watch the elections on TV

they didn't see the pink fingers, and see how good this election was.

[frictionlessO]

2. and despite the endless slaughter over there, this might be the worst

thing to happen since the elections.

If these protest continue to grow and the opposing factions don't come to some agreement quickly.... Things will actually get worse.

Hey you! PNAC head! Didn't fuckin' anticipate Kirkuk did ya? You stupid, greedy, murderous fuckedwad! Didn't really anticipate much of anything at all, just thought you could rape the hell out of Iraq because she deserved it! I mean she was just asking for it, what with all that oil, and greedy dick tater, and all those slutty terrorist connections....

sorry but this is just infuriating me today.

[daleo]

3. It will be interesting to see how Bush plays this

He may just find these protests useful, if he wants to cancel the elections and have a do-over where the result is more "controlled".

[Igel]

4. Well, at least the Arabs and Turkmen in the area have

a common foe to hate: the Kurds. I can see why. After centuries of kicking the Kurds around, the Turks and Arabs must be afraid of payback.

I hope the Kurds can stay above the pettiness the Arabs and Turks seem to assume they'll sink to.

Chaos is the best bet mostly when you know you won't be the oppressor under the current conditions.

And can we lose the "flaming pit," "burning hell" and "sea of fire" rhetoric, already?

[jayfish]

5. "No No To Federalism"?

They must not have gotten the memo.

You go to vote for the "democracy" you have not the democracy you wish you had.

Jay