Canadians Won't Send Observers For Iraq Election (Safety Reasons)

[Robbien]

OTTAWA, Dec. 20 -- Canadian authorities said Monday that security conditions in Iraq are inadequate to offer to send observers to monitor parliamentary elections scheduled for Jan. 30. Instead, Canada will head a small group of international experts to evaluate the election, with most of its work conducted outside Iraq.

The conclusion came after a two-day meeting in which elections experts heard from both U.S. military and Iraqi officials about preparations for balloting. The decision was another blow to some authorities' confidence that unimpeded elections can be held in Iraq, which is still torn by violence 20 months after Saddam Hussein was toppled.

Canada regularly volunteers for international elections monitoring -- it is sending hundreds of observers to monitor Ukraine's presidential Dec. 26 runoff -- and Prime Minister Paul Martin had sought to find a role in Iraq's election to show his cooperation with the United States. But after closed-door sessions with representatives of about a dozen countries and international monitoring groups, officials here decided "to minimize the number of people, to reduce to as low as possible the number of people situated in Iraq," said Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Canada's chief electoral officer.

He said a core group of roughly six to 12 experts would be based outside of Iraq, and "very little groups" would be sent into the country "so it can be easier to protect them." They will try to evaluate the election process and preparation but will not monitor balloting, he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14850-2004Dec20.html

[Maple]

1. Oh thank goodness

Only a suicidal maniac would do this.

Stay oudda da country Canucks!

[Brundle_Fly]

2. GOOD LORD

We must really be pissing George off of late.

umm
Wanna get out of your commitment to fight in Iraq? Well, come on down to Canada, and chill with our legalized Marijuana, there's nothing to worry about with our strict gun laws and lack of Missile defenses, check out a gay marriage, and have some decent liberal chat over a pint of real beer.

You might miss your Trans Fatty diet, as we are banning them though.

[TexasChick]

3. I wish I could join Canada! Been unemployed for two years now without

a penny to my name. If I had the money, Canada would be my first choice.

[Brundle_Fly]

6. it's like...

well I bet it's like your american dream....but colder.

[Robbien]

4. Isn't it a crazy world which expects ordinary citizens to enter a war zone

just to watch a bogus election? It's even crazier when bushbots begin to complain that countries will not send their citizens into harm's way for this farce.

Good going Canada!

[cliss]

5. The Canadians are no dummies! They know the score.

The Canadians know that

a) This is a bogus election. It's nothing more than a farce to satisfy Americans' need for "fairness", and "democracy". The BeelzeBush administration also knows that as long as they keep creating new "goals", they will minimize the increasing frustration that Americans are starting to feel about Iraq.

As each new plan fails, they have to create new goal posts that they keep moving further back.

b) I'm guessing they're going to make a big hype about this election. Even if just 1 Iraqi shows up to fearfully deposit their vote at the ballot box before it's blown up, this person will be all over the news for days on end. The election will be touted as a huge success.

The White House knows that Image Is Everything in this war. Even if it's all going down the tubes.

c) The Iraq insurgents are making it clear that they are going to kabosh this election. If they have their way, people will be so afraid to vote that they will not do it. So Bush has an uphill battle on this one. It's going to be really hard for him to pretend it's a success. But watch him try!

[leesa]

13. He will declare it a victory no matter what happens. BeelzeBush....I like

that!

[daleo]

7. I understand not wanting to send observers into a death trap

On the other hand, "observing" an election from another country seems to be a waste of time. Maybe worse, if they provide a bit of political cover for a Bush-like electoral cheat.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. The Bush criminal folly set up impossible conditions for everyone.

[SKKY]

8. Canada has been dissing us a lot lately...

...I wonder what it's all "aboot".

[Benhurst]

9. I guess they are losing patience with their dumb neighbors to

the south and the Bush Crime Family's immoral foreign policy.

[Spazito]

10. Canada hasn't been dissing, we have simply been saying "No"...

to things we disagree with. I would not classify that as 'dissing'.

[Darth_Kitten]

11. it's subtle sabotage.......

;)

:evilgrin:

[Spazito]

12. LOL!

*