Iraqi Voting & Other Bits

Iraq Extends Voting Amid Strong Turnout
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)

Iraqis voted in a historic parliamentary election Thursday, with strong turnout reported in Sunni Arab areas and even a shortage of ballots in some precincts. Because of the large turnout, the Iraqi election commission met in emergency session and extended voting for one hour after long lines were reported at some sites, said commission official Munthur Abdelamir.

Heavy participation by Sunni Arabs, who had shunned balloting last January, bolstered U.S. hopes of calming the insurgency enough to begin withdrawing its troops next year. Some preliminary returns were expected late Thursday, but final returns could take days, if not weeks.

Meanwhile, several explosions rocked Baghdad throughout the day, but overall the level of violence was low. A large blast near the heavily fortified Green Zone slightly injured two civilians and a U.S. Marine, the U.S. military said. A civilian was killed when a mortar shell hit near a polling station in the northern city of Tal Afar, and a grenade killed a school guard near a voting site in Mosul.

A bomb also exploded in Ramadi, a mortar round struck about 200 yards from a polling place in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, and a bomb was defused at a voting site in Fallujah, despite promises by major insurgent groups not to attack such places. But violence was light overall and did not appear to discourage Iraqis, some of whom turned out wrapped in their country’s flag on a bright, sunny day, and afterward displayed a purple ink-stained index finger — a mark to guard against multiple voting.

Karmah polling center opens in spite of terrorists

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – An Iraq National Elections polling center, based at al-Kurmaa Primary School in Karmah, opened on time Dec.15 despite an apparent terrorist attempt yesterday to damage or destroy it. A large explosion was reported on the evening of Dec.14 at the site. Marines and Iraqi security forces responded and discovered a hole blown in the wall and rubble in the street. There were no casualties. An explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit conducted a blast analysis and ensured the site was clear of additional explosives. Coalition Forces and ISF quickly cleaned and repaired the facility to receive voters.

“Through quick and decisive action in responding to the attack and repairing the damage, Iraqi and Coalition Forces were able to foil the attempt by anti-Iraqi forces to deny the Iraqi people their right to vote,” said Multi-National Force – West spokesman Col. David Lapan. Iraqi security forces and Marines continue to maintain security at and around outer cordon sites at hundreds of polling sites around the al Anbar province. Since the Iraqi security forces completed their voting earlier in the week, with 90% casting their ballots, they now play the key role in protecting the polling sites. In eastern al Anbar province, the Iraqi Army provides the outer perimeter security while the Iraqi Police are providing the inner cordon around the actual polling sites.

History in the making, early morning brings Iraqi voters

BAGHDAD, Iraq – With tight rings of security circling the city, Iraqi citizens took to the streets the morning of Dec. 15 to vote for the first full-term government since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Iraqi Police are providing close-in protection at polling stations; Iraqi public Order Battalions and Iraqi Army Soldiers are providing the next level of protection; and more Iraqi Soldiers and Coalition Forces are in a third ring of troops. They will also provide a quick-reaction force if needed.

Shortly after polling sites opened in Baghdad, a rocket landed in the International Zone, damaging a vehicle and injuring one Marine and two civilian contractors. The wounded were treated at the site for minor injuries and released. Polling stations throughout south Baghdad reported a constant flow of voters. Early reports indicated voter turnout is higher than the numbers seen on for the Constitutional Referendum vote on Oct. 15.

Task Force Baghdad Soldiers boost election security

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers conducted operations Dec. 14 in western Baghdad geared toward creating a secure environment for free elections in the area. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division questioned a driver who was behaving suspiciously near a traffic control point in the Abu Ghraib area. The man failed to answer basic questions and provided conflicting information to the Soldiers. They determined a thorough search of the man’s house was necessary.

The search revealed items typically used by terrorists to attack Iraqi Security Forces, Iraqi civilians and Coalition Forces. The Soldiers discovered two AK-47 assault rifles, one pistol, one video camera, 30 AK-47 magazines with ammunition, one magazine of 7.62-millimeter rounds, five sets of body armor vests, a book listing names of Iraqi Army Soldiers and various terrorist propaganda materials. Soldiers detained the suspected terrorist.

A few hours later, Soldiers from 1/10th Mountain’s Brigade Special Troops Battalion patrolling in Abu Ghraib discovered an improvised explosive device made from a 130 millimeter artillery round wired to detonate with a two-way radio. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the bomb. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry also captured a suspected terrorist financier near the Khadra neighborhood. One of his associates was also detained for questioning.

U.S. raids net detainees, weapons caches

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Soldiers assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division detained 14 suspected terrorists and confiscated a large number of weapons, munitions and money as a part of Operation Vanguard Free Speech Dec. 14. During the raids, Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, and 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment confiscated 12 152 mm artillery rounds, 12 bags of rocket-propelled grenade propellant, 40 sticks of dynamite, four anti-aircraft rounds and 1 million dinar (nearly $700). The 14 detained suspected terrorists are being held for further questioning.

Iraqi, U.S. Forces keep security tight as polls open

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers continued to maintain security at hundreds of polling sites around the city as residents began lining up well before the 7 a.m. opening for the historic national elections Dec. 15. Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police took the lead on polling-site security as Coalition Forces supported the Iraqis with perimeter checkpoints away from voting sites. The tight security involves a three-stage inspection system before voters get in to the polling sites. No one with bags, cell phones or packages will be allowed to enter as citizens cast their historic vote.

Polling stations secure despite sporadic violence

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Security Forces throughout the capitol city reported incidents of small-arms fire and discovered an improvised explosive device planted near a polling station on the eve of national elections. No polling sites were damaged and no election officials were harmed as Task Force Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces tightened security throughout the city Dec. 14. Iraqi Security Forces will be keeping the city safe for the national elections Dec. 15—85,000 more than there were for the Constitutional Referendum Oct. 15, totaling about 225,000 personnel.

Iraqi Security Forces have the lead for election security and are working hand-in-hand with the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq to ensure Iraqi citizens will be able to vote in a secure environment. U.S. Soldiers will maintain a secure outer perimeter away from the polling stations. While conducting a security patrol in east Baghdad Dec. 14, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery received a tip that explosives had been planted next to a polling site. The Soldiers discovered two suspicious cylinders at the site and requested assistance from Iraqi Police. The Iraqi Police secured the IED and later turned it over to the 3rd Public Order Brigade which later disposed of the explosives.

Around 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14, a patrol from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade investigated an explosion in east Baghdad. One Iraqi man was found dead at the scene. Witnesses told the Iraqi Soldiers that the man had been setting up an IED when it went off, killing him and wounding two other individuals.

Iraqi, U.S. forces prepare security at polling sites

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Soldiers of 3rd Brigade,1st Armored Division and Iraqi officials northwest of Baghdad spent the last week working toward a common goal: making polling sites as secure as possible. The Soldiers transported concrete barriers and emplaced them at polling places to ensure that voters remain safe during the historic national elections on Dec. 15. The entire planning process was a collaborative effort between Coalition Forces, Iraqi officials, and the Iraqi Army. Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army will assume the primary role of polling site security on election day.

Iraqi officials took the lead in planning election-site security and 3/1 AD troops assisted with logistics, said Maj. Scott Sill, civil military operations officer for the brigade. Joint planning began right after the Constitutional Referendum vote in October. Everyone involved was able to refine and improve their December plans based on their experience from the first two elections. The Iraqi Forces are building on what they achieved during the Referendum vote when they curbed attacks and ensured that citizens made it to the polls safely.

Iraqi forces safeguard polling sites against attacks

BAGHDAD, Iraq — As Iraqi citizens continued to stream into polling sites to vote in the historic national elections, Iraqi Security Forces protected voters against attempted terrorist attacks Dec. 15. Small-scale, sporadic terrorist attacks continued throughout the morning, but caused no serious injury or significant damage. Iraqi Army officials reported two 127 mm rocket impacts in central of Baghdad around 9 a.m. One rocket landed behind a polling station, which was temporarily closed as Iraqi Army Soldiers assessed the site. Three Iraqi civilians were wounded in the terrorist attack. Task Force Baghdad Military Police in east Baghdad reported two mortar rounds impacted near an Iraqi Police station shortly after 9 a.m. Military officials reported that voting at the polling sites in the area continued undisturbed. There were no casualties in the attack. Military Police detained an individual driving in the area who had a fake identification card.

Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq officials reported three armed terrorists harassed voters at four different Sadr City polling stations. An Iraqi Police emergency response team and Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division quickly arrived on the scene but the armed men had already dispersed. U.S. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment in southwest Baghdad found an improvised explosive device which conducting a patrol. An explosive ordnance disposal team later destroyed the homemade bomb. Throughout the day, Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army Soldiers maintained a secure environment for Iraqi citizens heading to the polls. Coalition Forces continued to maintain their role in perimeter security operations.

Now this is what I call democracy, and you watch when our elections come up in the UK a lot of the voters wont bother if it looks like rain. Makes you realise that we take our democracy for granted here in the Western world.

“Anybody who doesn’t appreciate what America has done and President Bush, let them go to hell”

– Iraqi Citizen, voter Betty Dawisha Iraqi Voter: Anybody Who Doesn’t Appreciate America Can Go To Hell (VIDEO)

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