Another blow has been dealt to the forces of destruction & despotism in the Middle East… not to mention those that would declare Iraq a failure & abandon it hastily!

Not only has Iraq had another successful election, it’s people have dealt a blow to Islamists by rejecting their parties & voting in an American ‘ally’.

Supreme Iraqi Election Board sources have said that after 90% of votes were counted, it was clear that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s Law and Order list had taken nine of 14 provinces, including Baghdad, Basra, and Najaf, and that in the other five provinces other lists won.

Source: Al-Zaman, Iraq, February 4, 2009 via Memri translation

Reuters reports

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki rode a nationalist, law-and-order message to a decisive victory over the Shi’ite religious parties who previously dominated Iraq, preliminary election results showed on Thursday.

…A group backed by Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr placed second in Baghdad with just 9 percent of the vote. In Basra, ISCI placed second with 11.6 percent. 

Several observers have commented that Al-Maliki ran a “Western Style” campaign, favoring issues of law & order over religious rheotric. And he wasn’t the only one who benefitted from this tactic…

[Al-Maliki] campaigned with virtually no reference to religion, a tactic that seemed to appeal to voters exhausted by years of sectarian warfare.

Secularist and independent parties also fared well across Iraq, the results showed, after being largely swamped by religious parties in the last election in 2005.

By contrast, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI) — until now Iraq’s dominant Shi’a party — relied on religious images and slogans extensively throughout in its campaign, and did not win a single province.

A successful, relatively peaceful election; a rejection of Islamist parties; the victory of a secular, law & order, American-’ally’ – IT IS A GOOD DAY!

 I am awaiting a comment from the Bush bashers – or will they give Obama the credit .

This is yet another indication of the nation’s rehabilitation & positive progress. It means that millions of Iraqis are on the path to self-determination & freedom. These developments are a testament to George W. Bush, who remained steadfast despite the loss of prestige and popularity.

Had Democrats had their way and forced a premature retreat (they still might), then many of the Iraqis experiencing Democracy for the first time would instead be fighting for their lives. The last time America retreated prematurely, it did itself  great deal of harm by abandoning those that heeded its call to rise up. These brave Shias & Kurds, along with their entire families were slaughtered by Saddam’s Mukabarat. It’s their remains that make up the mass ‘bone yards’ of Al-Mahawil.

A premature withdrawal this time would be far worse as it would endanger the great progress that has been made in that country. Such an act would not serve the best interests of Iraqis or Iraq’s fragile young democracy; it would dishonor the sacrifice made by Iraqi & American military & political branches; it would destabilize the region by creating a ‘hot zone’, not to mention taking away a great deterrent to Iran (the American army next door).

Long Live Democracy! Long Live a Free Secular Iraq!