Dean's World

Welcome to the Carnival of the Liberated, a sampler of some of the best posts from Iraqi bloggers. It's just five more days until the elections in Iraq and, as promised, in this post we'll focus on the elections. This week there's election preparation, hope, alternatives, and despair.

First up, there's a blog run by Iraqi bloggers devoted exclusively to on-the-ground coverage of the Iraqi election: Friends of Democracy. It's got a sharp format, pictures, election posters, province-by-province coverage of the run-up to the elections, old friends (including the bloggers of Iraq the Model), and new contributors. There's just too much there to excerpt and they post frequently. A must-read if you want to know what's really going on with the Iraqi elections. It's available in both English and Arabic versions. There's another blog run by Jeff Garzik, Iraq Election News Wire, that's devoted to a round-up of Western press coverage of the Iraqi election. Another useful resource.

Baghdad Dweller went to register to vote:

I went today to the voting station but it was only registration and the real voting is next week, I have promised to make photos and interviews so you have to wait till the next week.

There was this big building in Zwolle with big banner on the wall "registration center" in Arabic and Kurdish, six or seven police at the door with one Iraqi guy helping the police with the language, cars are not allowed to park near the building and no one allowed to enter the registration center if he is not an Iraqi.

Saleem of Free Iraq (one of several different blogs of that name) has a rather thorough post on out-of-country voting, registration centers, the schedule, the parties, links to election-related sites, etc. It's a good reference.

Riverbend has given up hope:

It's amazing how as things get worse, you begin to require less and less. We have a saying for that in Iraq, "Ili yishoof il mawt, yirdha bil iskhooneh." Which means, "If you see death, you settle for a fever." We've given up on democracy, security and even electricity. Just bring back the water.

Hammorabi has some pretty harsh words for the thugs that caused the water shortage that Riverbend is writing about above.

Zeyad of Healing Iraq has an extremely interesting post on the status of things in Baghdad in the countdown to the election.

Firas Georges of Iraq and Iraqis reports that although the situation is serious in Baghdad, things are pretty quiet in Basra.

Abu Khaleel of Iraqi Letter to America has already declared the elections to be illegitimate and a failure. He's got Plan B ready:

1. US maintains present course and status for a month but will only act in self defense and to preserve the peace and will not go after "insurgents" or carry out random searches and arrests, etc. during that month.
2. US announces and implements an immediate freeze on the building of permanent military bases in Iraq. If there is no such intention (!) they can publicly and categorically state their policy in this regard.
3. The US goes to the UN to help establish, within 2-4 weeks, a "International Council for Iraq" (ICI). Two alternatives are possible:
   • A council of 15 members each nominated by a UN Security Council member state and approved by a majority of the other members.
   • A council of 5 members of internationally respected figures nominated by the UN General Assembly and approved by the UN Security Council.
   • This council is to act as the supreme authority for running the country in the interim period of 6 months.

4. The US reiterates its intention to withdraw completely from Iraq at the request of the ICI or a democratically elected government.
5. Work out a UN Security Council resolution to "guarantee" the continuity of democracy in Iraq, under chapter 7 of the UN Charter (which authorizes the use of force). This is to guarantee that no military coup or other means of force are used to overthrow the newly born democracy of Iraq for a number of years. Iraq is already an international problem in many respects.
6. Place the Multi-national forces now in Iraq as well as the Iraqi army, police, etc. under the political authority of the ICI.
7. The ICI is given an international mandate for six months to establish a democratic government in Iraq, without any conditions on its conduct apart from the objectives mentioned above and normal financial auditing.
8. Let this "council of the wise" find its own solution without interference or pressure. I would only like to add that all its deliberations and activities should be made public.

Kurdo's World is Iraqi Kurd elections all the time right now see here and here.

Alaa, The Mesopotamian, brings Eid greetings and his take on the insurgency, the elections, and exit strategies:

Moreover, no one should expect that the security situation and strife would somehow improve after the elections; it is more likely to intensify. This is an unfinished war; the Saddamists and their allies have fully regrouped and rearmed and are being very well financed and supported. The brave American people have given President Bush the mandate to finish this war despite the painful sacrifices and material cost. The Iraqi people are up in arms through the political groupings, new army, N.G. and various security forces and are suffering the greater part of the sacrifice. Despite all the snags and faltering, these forces are getting bigger and stronger and should be supported and nurtured until they can bear the full responsibility; this is the only viable "exit strategy" available. In fact, we do not like this phrase, for what is required is a "victory strategy". This war must be fought to the bitter end, and there is only one outcome acceptable both to us and to you: Total and Complete Victory. Anything else is completely unthinkable.

Next week we'll have a post-election round-up.

Dave Schuler posts regularly to his own weblog, The Glittering Eye. The Carnival was originally conceived by Ryan Boots.