U.S. military too eager to help Iraqis vote

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. officials have had to discourage an "overenthusiastic" U.S. military from helping to get out the vote in Iraq before Sunday's election, the top U.N. electoral adviser has said.

"The U.S. military has been extremely overenthusiastic in trying to help out with these elections," said Carina Perelli, who heads the U.N. Electoral Assistance Division.

"We have been basically saying that they should try to minimize their involvement as this is an Iraqi process," she told a news conference on Wednesday, adding that Iraq's election commission had delivered the same message.

Posted by: b | Jan 28 2005 10:56 utc | 1

The Bee Gees' lyrics are a sublime touch. But the second link goes 404.

Posted by: Kate_Storm | Jan 28 2005 12:44 utc | 2

Campaign Promise

Posted by: beq | Jan 28 2005 13:26 utc | 3

Thanks beq - beat me to the punch.

History reminds me that what we do in "the colonies" always comes back home, but my brain is hiccuping trying to imagine how the nice U.S. soldier can promise to go home while getting out the vote in, say, LA. Oh right, civil war...

Posted by: Citizen | Jan 28 2005 13:37 utc | 4

Raed Jarrar - Early Elections, Sham Elections

When bush was re-elected, he considered winning the elections as legitimization for his policy in Iraq, the thing that is untrue. The Iraqi issue wasn’t on the priority of voting for people, and even people that had foreign policy as a priority elected him because of the lack of another clear vision. This election will be abused the same way, to legitimize the war and occupation, the death of tens of thousands of people, and the destruction of an entire country with its culture ……

Most Iraqis know all of these facts. That’s why less than quarter million out of millions of Iraqis outside the country registered their names for elections. Iraqis know that these are fake elections that will use them instead of helping them.

I am not going to vote...

Posted by: b | Jan 28 2005 13:39 utc | 5

link fixed now - a "O" instead of a "0"...

Posted by: | Jan 28 2005 14:01 utc | 6

a "O" instead of a "0"...

In the mid 80s I consulted a photocopier and printing equipment wholesaler. After introducing their new computer system, they had severe problems selling and delivering because there never was enough in the offsite central storage facility - at least that is what the salesmen and delivery organizers saw on their screens. Seamed like new stuff never arrived in storage.

We took initiative and drove some hours to the offsite storage facility. It was filled up to the roof, some delicate machines were even stored outside in the rain. We watched the storage clerk accepting a new delivery and correctly booking it in the appropriate computer application.

But he booked all arrivals on storage facility "O" (oh) while his central storage facility was supposed to "0" (zero).

Nearly broke that companies financial back.

Posted by: b | Jan 28 2005 14:32 utc | 7

And stupid damn server system that cleans up cookies, preferences and stuff once in a while... That was me above, "O"-"o3

Posted by: Jérôme | Jan 28 2005 14:40 utc | 8

@ Bernhard and Jerome:

Please sign on to this declaration about AG Gonzalez
from Markos 'Kos' Moulitsas:

http://newsfare.com/no-to-gonzales/

(Please tell Billmon too)

Thank You !

Posted by: name | Jan 28 2005 15:10 utc | 9

The elections are another example of this administration's favorite tactic: ">http://www.comw.org/pda/0501br17.html"> bait and switch.

Posted by: lonesomeG | Jan 28 2005 15:20 utc | 10

Try that link again.
Bait and Switch

Posted by: lonesomeG | Jan 28 2005 15:24 utc | 11

b, I found that a strangely tragic story. The left hand not having a clue what the right hand is doing, and obviously people never talking to each other: didn't the storage manager talk to anybody?

Posted by: Araneidae | Jan 29 2005 9:07 utc | 12