NEWS: Iraqi Election Workers Executions Captured in Photo

With elections set for January in Iraq, today rebel forces in broad daylight in the heart of Baghdad stopped a car removed election workers and while being photographed executed them in cold blood, for all to see. A very harsh reminder of the deteriorating security situation all over Iraq, as rebel groups, insurgents and the people of Iraq move ever closer to having democratic elections.






It would now seem that these rebels will target anyone working on the elections in Iraq, some are worried that the people of Iraq who may show up to vote will also be targets as well.

It seems that democracy in Iraq comes at great risk to anyone willing to be involved.

Which begs this question; Can democracy ever really work in Iraq, or in any Middle Eastern Muslim nation?

Other News From Iraq:

Iraq car bombings kill at least 60

[edit on 19-12-2004 by UM_Gazz]

This all happened with Afghanistan, too. It worked there well enough.

A sharp increase in the number and ferocity of attacks is to be expected as the election gets closer.

The insurgents and their supporters have everything to lose and nothing to gain with successful elections in Iraq - they know this.

Attacks of this nature can have an opposite result of what was intended if public opinion sways from a grudging acceptence of their cause to one of anger at their desperate methods. I think this was part of the reason for the high turn-out in Afganistan.

The choice became a decision between thugs running the country where everyone was fair game for violence and a government that would promote stabilty.

Today in the news the attacks in Baghdad were very bad.

Yes the same tactics were used in Afghanistan, but it was not as bad.

In Iraq the attacks seems to be worst and often and in front of everybody.

Democracy in that country is becoming like a plague to the people, for them to think positively is like a death sentences.

Personally I think that the situation in that country is to unstable to do anything without putting Innocent people at risk.

Elections may very well become a death sentence to many or worst a massacre.

How can anyone possibly support these insurgents? I can almost understand being against the west's motives for going there or any of that, but there are lots of people who actually support these insurgents. WHy? They obviously aren't working to democratize iraq, or help anyone. They kidnap and kill civilians, whether they are from the west or are muslims themselves, and then brutually execute them, they blow up markets, they attack the mosques of religios minorities, incit religious violence, promote disorder, and are working for absolutely anarchy followed by theocratic rule. ANd here they are actually killing people who are working for actual elections! These are people who are trying to make sure that individual iraqis can have a say in their own government, and they are murdering them in public, threatening everyone to not work for their own independance!

edit
marg

honestly, what do you think should be done now? These guys are going around murdering people that are trying to work for elections, and now you are making the holding of elections out to be a death trap or something. If they don't vote, then they won't get heard and wont have a say. Poor turnout for the elections isn't going to stop them.

If the People of Iraq want any kind of personal liberty its incumbent upon them to refuse, resist, and vote. They don't have to vote for anyone they don't want to and they don't have to vote for people that are in the least bit pro-american. Hell, they'll be able to vote for leaders of the resistance who have agreed to cease fires, not even disarmements but mere ceasefire, like sistani, who is almost certianly going to be running. But they have to do something for it. All of everyone's talk of the west being invasive and imperialistic, its all meaningless because these people are going to get to have a free election. Undoubtedly it won't be perfect and pure, but what the hell does that matter? Honestly, what does it matter if the west influences some fothe candidates and oversees some of the process? That won't make it invalid, and the west isn't trying to enslave these people, hell, almost every one in the Us doesn't want to actually be there and wants to leave as soon as its stable.

The US and the West isn't the problem in that part of the world, its these thuggish, murderous, fanatical gangs that are the ones trying to enslave people and supress other religions (like the shia). They're the problem. Incidents like this, if nothing else, validate US involvment in the region and practically demand that it become even more involved.

[edit on 19-12-2004 by Nygdan]

Just curious, but is anyone aware of an online English speaking Iraq
news service....

I would like to read what reporters that are actual Iraqi's have to say about this.

Just for clarity I am talking only newspaers inside of Iraq not those outside the country.

A further note I did do a search and I can find several perhaps hundreds, however none that seem to be carrying todays events. any ehlp appreciated, I would think there has to be one or two

[edit on 12/19/2004 by shots]

newssearch.bbc.co.uk...

You can read a number of blogs done by Iraqis there. The BBC did 10 days of it.

Originally posted by Nygdan
honestly, what do you think should be done now? These guys are going around murdering people that are trying to work for elections, and now you are making the holding of elections out to be a death trap or something. If they don't vote, then they won't get heard and wont have a say. Poor turnout for the elections isn't going to stop them.

If these same conditions existed in the USA before elections... How would you feel about showing up at the polling stations to cast your vote?

Would you be willing to risk your very own life to cast that vote?

Its easy for us to say that if the Iraqis want democracy they have to show up to vote... But with all the killing and attacks going on and the general lack of security all over Iraq, I would bet you most do not wish to take that risk.

However we will not have to wait much longer to see what the turn-out will be for these elections.

I hope the Iraqis would show up in strong numbers, despite the lack of security and threats.. Logic tells me they wont.

Would you?

Gazz

Nygdan,

May I remind you that Iraq is a mess right now thanks to the poor security of the US after the invasion.

Now, remember also that we are under the assumption that the entire "regular non violent" Iraqi population wants democracy.

But are we really sure that they do?

Taking in consideration that they are "Terrorist" and "insurgents" doing all these heinous attacks on the pro-democracy people, If the Pro-democracy people were such in great numbers they would be able to stop these killings.

But why is not happening?

Now do we have any idea who is killing who? Sunnis against Shiites or Shiites against Sunnis or Kurds again both of them, or we are only told that Innocent people is dying.

Why is so difficult for the US to take control of the city of Baghdad with the help of the "Pro-democracy" people.

If the people in Baghdad wants democracy so bad they could help restore law and order.

But guess what its not happening and we wonder why, must be that the city entire population is made of "terrorist and Insurgents" Right?

Why people still thinks that bringing democracy to an unwilling groups is going to work, just because we in our democratic country say so.

This is what worries me. If they don't show up to vote, and I wouldn't blame them if they did not, they might have an elected official that the majority isn't happy with. If thats the case, are we just going to have this turmoil for the forseeable future aginst their newly elected leader. Democracy will surely not reign in Iraq if everyone is scared to vote.

Actually we know that PM Allawi will be there not matter what he is after all US choice.

Now for the rest they could very much lose the right to elect their counsel members.

The arab Sunni minority that had power through Saddams Baath party knows it will hold little sway with the majority Shia and Kurdish population in any kind of one man one vote system.

A minority control of Iraqs population is precisely why it was so brutal and repressive - rule by fear and execution.

As far as the violence repressing the vote is concerned a high majority of Iraqi towns are relatively peaceful now, I keep coming across the figure of 80% or better. Yes places like the Sunni triangle and Bagdad along with a few other large cities are going to see an increase in violence leading up to the election, my bet is the people will indeed take their chance and vote.

Marg, which way is it?

Now, remember also that we are under the assumption that the entire "regular non violent" Iraqi population wants democracy.

Or is it..........

If the Pro-democracy people were such in great numbers they would be able to stop these killings.

But wait didn't you just say "regular non-violent" pro-democracy people?

Well you got part of it right in rather odd sense because its that "silent majority" consisting of regular non-violent" pro-democracy people that will have a very loud voice come election day.

That day will spell the beginning of doom for the insurgents cause.

I think there needs to be a separation of anti-bush anti-war opinion and the Iraqi peoples chances for success, sometimes I feel that opinion clouds what is ultimatly a good thing for Iraq and its people - wishing them success is not rubber-stamping american policy or aims.

Originally posted by Phoenix
Marg, which way is it?

Now, remember also that we are under the assumption that the entire "regular non violent" Iraqi population wants democracy.

Or is it..........

If the Pro-democracy people were such in great numbers they would be able to stop these killings.

But wait didn't you just say "regular non-violent" pro-democracy people?

Well actually I said "under the assumption" and that makes a diference.

We here in the US believe that "all non-violent" civilians has to be pro-democracy, but is that the truth or just an assumption.

What do you said to that. And trust me I am been nice and fair here.

Originally posted by marg6043
Taking in consideration that they are "Terrorist" and "insurgents" doing all these heinous attacks on the pro-democracy people, If the Pro-democracy people were such in great numbers they would be able to stop these killings.

I guess the same question could be asked of the muslim population in general. Why haven't bin Laden and Zarqawi been stopped, if the muslim people are overwhelmingly peace-loving?

Originally posted by jsobecky
I guess the same question could be asked of the muslim population in general. Why haven't bin Laden and Zarqawi been stopped, if the muslim people are overwhelmingly peace-loving?

Good question, I wonder about that too, if the peaceful Iraqi people want democracy then being the majority they should take arms against the muslin radicals and fight alone side the US.

But I think and this my opinion, that they take sides depending who they favor at the moment.