x-tra x-tra x-tra: blue fingers of democracy in iraq

a 55% (per some international sources) to 72% plus (per iraqi officials) turn-out in the iraqi elections puts all those who said that "the iraqi people do not desire democracy" or that "the u.s.a. has no right to push its way of life on the iraqi people." to shame. today, approximately 8 million individual iraqis, both men and women, raise indelibly inked index fingers to the sky in pride as if to say, "i am free." and "today i prove to the world that democracy is for me and for my country."

5:40pm From a sometime Chrenkoff correspondent, Haider Ajina:

"I just called my father in Baghdad to see if he and the rest of my Iraqi family over there have voted yet. He said we were all just heading out the door, but we will wait and talk to you (chuckling). I heard a strength and joy in his voice and could hear the rest of my relatives in the back ground. It sounded like a family reunion. My 84 year old Iraqi Grandmother will be voting for the first time in her life. My father (a naturalized U.S. Citizen) said we are all getting ready to go vote in a school near by. This school was just being built when I left Iraq in the late 70's. I know where it is and I can picture my father, uncles aunties and cousins along with the rest of the family walking through my old neighborhood to that school and vote. My father said 'For the first time in my life I voted in the U.S. and now I can vote in Iraq. We want our voices to count, we want to decide our future and we want the world to know we have a voice in our future and in our government, this will give the Iraqi government true legitimacy, just like in America'.

"I can now dream of the day when I can take my family to meet my extended family and the places were I played and grew up. They will also see what our men and women in our military fought for.

"To all the men and women who have served and serving in Iraq, to all the families of those who have paid the ultimate price to all those who have suffered during their service in Iraq, my family’s and my deepest thanks, gratitude and pride both from the U.S. and Iraq for all the sacrifices, endurance and service for our great country and Iraq and the Iraqis. God bless all of you and keep you safe."

maybe, in 2008, we here in the u.s.a. will have a better voter turn-out from what we have witnessed today in iraq!