The Cellar - The real cost of IRAQ: PTSD and the second war

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http://shlonkombakazay.blogspot.com/...i-am-that.html

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I cannot tell you how happy I am that my family did not go to vote.

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/200...-have-won.html

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We would love to share what we did this morning with the whole world, we can't describe the feelings we've been through but we'll try to share as much as we can with you.
We woke up this morning one hour before the alarm clock was supposed to ring. As a matter of fact, we barely slept at all last night out of excitement and anxiety.

The first thing we saw this morning on our way to the voting center was a convoy of the Iraqi army vehicles patrolling the street, the soldiers were cheering the people marching towards their voting centers then one of the soldiers chanted "vote for Allawi" less than a hundred meters, the convoy stopped and the captain in charge yelled at the soldier who did that and said:
"You're a member of the military institution and you have absolutely no right to support any political entity or interfere with the people's choice. This is Iraq's army, not Allawi's".
This was a good sign indeed and the young officer's statement was met by applause from the people on the street.
The streets were completely empty except for the Iraqi and the coalition forces ' patrols, and of course kids seizing the chance to play soccer!

We had all kinds of feelings in our minds while we were on our way to the ballot box except one feeling that never came to us, that was fear.
We could smell pride in the atmosphere this morning; everyone we saw was holding up his blue tipped finger with broad smiles on the faces while walking out of the center.

I couldn't think of a scene more beautiful than that.
From the early hours of the morning, People filled the street to the voting center in my neighborhood; youths, elders, women and men. Women's turn out was higher by the way. And by 11 am the boxes where I live were almost full!
Anyone watching that scene cannot but have tears of happiness, hope, pride and triumph.

The sounds of explosions and gunfire were clearly heard, some were far away but some were close enough to make the windows of the center shake but no one seemed to care about them as if the people weren't hearing these sounds at all.
I saw an old woman that I thought would get startled by the loud sound of a close explosion but she didn't seem to care, instead she was busy verifying her voting station's location as she found out that her name wasn't listed in this center.

How can I describe it!? Take my eyes and look through them my friends, you have supported the day of Iraq's freedom and today, Iraqis have proven that they're not going to disappoint their country or their friends.

Is there a bigger victory than this? I believe not.

I still recall the first group of comments that came to this blog 14 months ago when many of the readers asked "The Model?"… "Model for what?"
Take a look today to meet the model of courage and human desire to achieve freedom; people walking across the fire to cast their votes.

Could any model match this one!? Could any bravery match the Iraqis'!?
Let the remaining tyrants of the world learn the lesson from this day.

The media is reporting only explosions and suicide attacks that killed and injured many Iraqis s far but this hasn't stopped the Iraqis from marching towards their voting stations with more determination. Iraqis have truly raced the sun.

I walked forward to my station, cast my vote and then headed to the box, where I wanted to stand as long as I could, then I moved to mark my finger with ink, I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world's tyrants.
I put the paper in the box and with it, there were tears that I couldn't hold; I was trembling with joy and I felt like I wanted to hug the box but the supervisor smiled at me and said "brother, would you please move ahead, the people are waiting for their turn".

Yes brothers, proceed and fill the box!
These are stories that will be written on the brightest pages of history.

It was hard for us to leave the center but we were happy because we were sure that we will stand here in front of the box again and again and again.
Today, there's no voice louder than that of freedom.

No more confusion about what the people want, they have said their word and they said it loud and the world has got to respct and support the people's will.

God bless your brave steps sons of Iraq and God bless the defenders of freedom.

Aasha Al-Iraq….Aasha Al-Iraq….Aasha Al-Iraq.

http://secretsinbaghdad.blogspot.com...10677976831622

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Today, was full of explosions.
i didnt leave the house, and the same goes for so many families.
i saw the press conference of the "highest commission for the elections" who organized, supposadly, everyting in the elections, right after the voting centers closed, 5 pm this afternoon.
the journalists asked the excecutive director: how did you know that the percentage of the voters in iraq is 72% like you announced?
he asnwered: "well, the head of every voting center estimated that basing on the length of the line of the voters as he saw it!"
hehehe! see how sceintific? how accurate? he actually said that!
the way the voting happened, is that you go to the voting center, and you go to the man that is your ration dealer, the oen that you take the ration from him every month, so you tell him that you are gonna vote, he marks your name on his list, and then you vote!!!
that way the goverment will know exactly who voted and who didnt, two dealers said that the next years' card won't be given to those who didnt vote..
hmm...
Tara, my great producer and wonderful friend, designed a joke, i gave it to a freind to me here in baghdad to draw it but i ouldnt scan it because no shops are openned in baghdad, anyways, its for Bush removing the curtain and producing the new Iraqi president, Mr. 245 ( a number only, the president doesnt think its safe to reveal his name) and the picture of the Iraqi president, wearing a cover on his face, like the national guard.
hehe:)
well it's very much possible in Iraq today!
there is a very funny thing that i noticed in baghdad, when you face a police check point, you find a small street to the right, right before the check point!
well, its in the manual, if you dont know, that check point should be put in a palce where you cant neither turn back not go anywhere once you see the checkpoint, so once you are there its over, you cant avoid it, but the Iraqi police understand that so many people carry weapons and, and probably some of the resistanse people would be going from that road loaded with PRGs, if that's the case, they are willing usually to attack any check point to go through, so the police just want to go home safe, why go through all the trouble? put the check point after a tun to the right! so then anyone with weapons goes to the right, anyone without weapons goes through the check point, and everyone is happy and satisfied!
very pragmatic right?

Ah yes.....the bloggers.
I assume the high imperial council of bloggers has verified the legitimacy of these sites long ago. So who writes these blogs?
I would suggest they are Iraqi geeks/nerds. Urban, probably higher than average IQ, better educated scholastically, certainly better educated in world politics, well aware of the value of propaganda and better than average creative writing skills which keeps their readership up.
They are also the ones with the most to lose should this noble experiment go down the tubes. My guess is they would be hunted down and silenced ....permanently.
I hope you’re right in placing your faith in these bloggers having their hand on the pulse of the “common” Iraqis. But one thing I’ve learned is, in spite of Occam’s Razor, nothing is as simple as it seems. OK, ok, or as complicated as some people would make it. :3eye:
To decide whether this war is valid or even whether the 25 million Iraqis want democracy on the basis of eligible voter turn out is an over simplification.

Bruce, if the bloggers say it went well, then we KNOW it went well! :D

The last numbers I saw put turnout at 60% of eligible voters, which is better than I thought they would be. It's a great day for the Iraqis and Iraq, but they've only taken the first step on a very steep hill. I hope that Iraq truly becomes a successful democracy. Time will tell...