zimv20
Sep 26, 2004, 05:05 PM
link (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040926/wl_mideast_afp/us_iraq_vote_040926211823)
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned that the insurgency in Iraq was "getting worse" and could hinder the organization of Iraqi elections planned for January.
"Yes, it's getting worse," Powell told ABC television.
"And the reason it's getting worse is that they are determined to disrupt the election. They do not want the Iraqi people to vote for their own leaders in a free, democratic elections."
"Right now our goal is, and I think it's an achievable goal, is to have full, free and fair elections across the whole country."
The top US military commander in the region, General John Abizaid also cautioned that "we will fight our way through elections" in Iraq, and that he could not predict that the entire country would be able to vote.
Their remarks stood in sharp contrast to the optimistic scenario painted by US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) and Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who both vowed last week that elections would go ahead and insisted the rebuilding of Iraq was on track.
[Powell's] remarks came after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday told a congressional committee "so be it," if unrest prevents polls opening in parts of Iraq.
"You have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet," Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Abizaid said Sunday that he believed "elections will occur in the vast majority of the country."
"I can't predict 100 percent that all areas will be available for free, fair and peaceful elections," he said on NBC television's "Meet the Press" program.
so we've got powell's assessment at odds w/ bush's, and rumsfeld saying democratic elections are okay even if everyone isn't offered the chance to vote.
i guess when bush was selling the idea of a "free, democratic iraq," nobody had guessed that his model was florida in 2000.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned that the insurgency in Iraq was "getting worse" and could hinder the organization of Iraqi elections planned for January.
"Yes, it's getting worse," Powell told ABC television.
"And the reason it's getting worse is that they are determined to disrupt the election. They do not want the Iraqi people to vote for their own leaders in a free, democratic elections."
"Right now our goal is, and I think it's an achievable goal, is to have full, free and fair elections across the whole country."
The top US military commander in the region, General John Abizaid also cautioned that "we will fight our way through elections" in Iraq, and that he could not predict that the entire country would be able to vote.
Their remarks stood in sharp contrast to the optimistic scenario painted by US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) and Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who both vowed last week that elections would go ahead and insisted the rebuilding of Iraq was on track.
[Powell's] remarks came after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday told a congressional committee "so be it," if unrest prevents polls opening in parts of Iraq.
"You have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet," Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Abizaid said Sunday that he believed "elections will occur in the vast majority of the country."
"I can't predict 100 percent that all areas will be available for free, fair and peaceful elections," he said on NBC television's "Meet the Press" program.
so we've got powell's assessment at odds w/ bush's, and rumsfeld saying democratic elections are okay even if everyone isn't offered the chance to vote.
i guess when bush was selling the idea of a "free, democratic iraq," nobody had guessed that his model was florida in 2000.
