Security Clampdown Starts Before Iraq Poll

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050128/ts_nm/iraq_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq (news - web sites) clamped tough security measures across the country on Friday, sealing land borders and curbing travel to foil insurgents bent on wrecking Sunday's election, but a car bomb killed four people in Baghdad.

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Ahead of the start of the extended curfew, Iraqis rushed to the shops to stock up on essentials. Large queues formed outside bakeries, and at supermarkets the shelves were emptying fast.


"Going out tomorrow will be dangerous and so is standing here now," said Talal Yaldeh, a 45-year-old teacher, at a bakery. "I don't want to get shot for bread, it's not worth dying for."

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"The insurgents have conducted a fairly sophisticated, apparently well thought-out campaign against infrastructure, particularly around Baghdad --- oil, electricity and water are being interrupted by attacks on these facilities," said Bill Taylor, a senior U.S. embassy official in Baghdad.

Threats nearly paralyze Baghdad

By Hannah Allam
KNIGHT RIDDER


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Baghdad kicked into panic mode three days before the election, with terrified Iraqis stockpiling food and evacuating homes near polling places on Thursday for fear that insurgents would make good on threats to disrupt Sunday's vote with violence.

At least 15 Iraqis and a U.S. Marine were killed Thursday. Insurgents blew up six polling places, detonated car bombs in three cities, triggered at least three roadside bombs and gunned down several Iraqi policemen, according to the U.S. military and Iraqi authorities.

Iraqis who support the parliamentary election and those who oppose it agreed on one thing: They expect such attacks to grow much, much worse.

"How much fear is there? A lot of fear. A whole lot of fear," said Dhikra Hussein, 25, who lives a block from a polling center. "Our neighbors are all gone. We've bought three kilos of everything we need."

Leaflets passed out to residents of several neighborhoods in Baghdad warn of more attacks that will "strike voting centers powerfully and without mercy."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/10756577.htm?1c

He was pointing a gun at the general population, apparently to keep them in line. I thought to myself, "what are we doing this for?"

An election is not is not an enforced thing. It's more or less voluntary; if you want to boycott an election, you should be able to. No one is going to point a gun at your head and force you to vote. Or will they?

It's not too hard to imagine the US troops, going from house to house, threatening people if they don't vote they will go to jail.

How much easier it would be if people did things voluntarily. And that's what Bush just doesn't get. He thinks he can force people to do whatever he wants.

He keeps getting himself into situations where he has to rely on the goodwill of others, and he gets himself into trouble every time.