Iraq
After the Taliban was toppled in Afghanistan, the United States set an ambitious timetable to help the people set up a new government. But because pockets of violence continued, and threats were made, elections were postponed several times, until last year a relatively orderly and peaceful elections were held. Iraq doesn’t have that luxury. It will stick to the initial timetable of voting today. The very real possibility exists that many lives will be lost today, as people brave threats from insurgents and cast their lot for democracy.
No one knows how heavy turnout will be. The numbers are important in determining just how strongly the population feels that it must create a government of its people and for its people. A light turnout will indicate that fear rules.
There will be those who would have preferred to have postponed the elections until the United States was better able to crush all of the violent factions. But that isn’t likely to happen. If the week leading up to today’s election is any indication, the bloodshed will continue as long as the United States is perceived as Iraq’s occupier.
That is why it is necessary to keep with the timetable that takes steps to turn over Iraq’s governing to its governed. It is the only way that the United States can ever hope to withdraw its forces without causing the country to fall into the hands of people more evil than the despot it deposed.