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If not for milestones and anniversaries, I’m not quite sure how much is left for today’s reporter to report. And if not to serve as the veritable conscience of society, then what, pray tell, would his or her purpose be? I suppose that to suggest a reporter’s function is to actually disseminate what is going on is to refute his or her greater role in society – something more than a mere observer, collector and teller of news. Thanks, in part, to the guiding light cast from the Watergate template, those who once simply reported on events now aspire to...

Cindy Sheehan, Tom Hayden, and the Hate America Left meet with pro-Ba'athist members of the Iraqi parliament to discuss “peace.” TO FIND PEOPLE WHO HATE AMERICA AS MUCH AS THEY DO, the Fifth Column Left had to go halfway around the world to meet with Iraqi political leaders who call terrorism “honorable national resistance” and say foreign jihadists “are guaranteed Paradise” – and at least one of whom has ties to militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr. By the end of the trip, the American leftists would echo these sentiments. Somehow most of the media – occupied with interminable coverage of Hurricane...

Even before Iraq’s constitution was ratified, dire predictions were being made that it would pave the way for the creation of an Islamic theocracy. But while there may be a number of issues in the constitution that could conceivably pose problems for the future of Iraq, the role of Islam in the state is not likely to be one of them. The truth is that despite grumblings from those who were expecting a secular, liberal democracy to arise fully formed in the midst of a bloody and chaotic occupation, the constitution of Iraq is nothing short of a miracle. This...

* Influential Shia cleric maintains anti-US stand BAGHDAD: Influential Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he rejects the Iraqi constitution backed by his partners in the biggest parliamentary bloc, threatening to reignite one of the country’s most explosive issues. “I reject this constitution which calls for sectarianism and there is nothing good in this constitution at all,” he told Al Jazeera television late on Saturday. Sadr, a rebel leader turned political kingmaker, said the charter was unacceptable, complicating efforts to form a government more than two months after parliamentary elections. “If there is a democratic government in Iraq, nobody has the...

Influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he rejects the Iraqi constitution backed by his partners in the biggest parliamentary bloc, threatening to reignite one of the country's most explosive issues. Sadr, a rebel leader turned political kingmaker, said the charter was unacceptable, complicating efforts to form a government more than two months after parliamentary elections. The young cleric, who led two armed uprisings against U.S. and Iraqi troops, has emerged as a potent force in Iraqi politics, joining the powerful United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which won 128 of 275 seats in parliament in December 15 polls. A swing vote by...

January/February 2006 Summary: Although questions of implementation remain, the new Iraqi constitution makes Islam the law of the land. This need not mean trouble for Iraq's women, however. Sharia is open to a wide range of interpretations, some quite egalitarian. If Washington still hopes for a liberal order in Iraq, it should start working with progressive Muslim scholars to advance women's rights through religious channels. ISOBEL COLEMAN is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Women and U.S. Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. THE IMPACT OF SHARIA Article 14 of Iraq's new constitution, approved in a...

WASHINGTON and Baghdad will be tempted, with the adoption of a new Constitution and the election on Thursday for a four-year government, to declare victory in Iraq. In one sense, they are right to do so. The emerging Iraqi polity undoubtedly represents a radical break not only with the country's past but also with the whole Arab state system established by Britain and France after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But in the larger sense, such optimism is misguided, for none of the problems associated with Iraq's monumental change have been sorted out. Worse, profound tensions and contradictions have...

With a population of 5 million in an area larger than Switzerland or twice the size of New Jersey, it is surprising that this region remains largely undiscovered and commercially untapped. The Government and the peoples of Kurdistan invite you to discover their peaceful region, a place that has practiced democracy for over a decade, a place where the universities, markets, cafes and fair grounds buzz with progress and prosperity and where the people are already sowing the seeds of a brighter future. Update on Developments in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq The Kurdistan Region in Iraq is developing at...

AR RAMADI, Iraq (Nov. 2, 2005) -- Over 200,000 Iraqi people in Al Anbar Province recently made their way to polling sites for Iraq’s Constitutional Referendum. The voters safely made their voices heard without even seeing the forces that were instrumental in making it possible. In response to a request from the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq and the Ministry of Interior, the 2nd Marine Division deployed several election support elements comprised of Marines, Sailors and Soldiers throughout the province. These teams provided behind-the-scenes logistics support and ensured poll workers and material moved unimpeded between polling sites. According to the...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi election officials defied a new upsurge of violence and held a televised lottery on Tuesday to determine the order in which more than 200 parties will appear on ballot papers at December 15 elections. In the run-up to the elections to choose the first full four-year parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein, parties were hoping for a low number in the ballot, which would put their name near the top of the list, or something distinctive that would catch the attention of voters. The highly theatrical public display of election transparency in the new Iraq...

  For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryOctober 29, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week marked another important milestone in carrying out our strategy in Iraq. On Tuesday, the Iraqi election commission formerly certified the passage of the new Iraqi constitution, after nearly 10 million Iraqis turned out to vote on it two weeks ago. This is a moment of tremendous significance for Iraq, the region, and the world. Three years ago, when Saddam Hussein ruled with an iron grip, the prospect of Iraqis voting on a democratic constitution would have been unthinkable. Now,...

THE MAJOR story in the national press yesterday was the death of Sgt. George Alexander Jr., 34, of Killeen, Texas, though his name was not always mentioned in the reports. Sgt. Alexander was America's 2,000th military death in Iraq. Much is remarkable about the men and women who have died in our ongoing effort to liberate Iraq. Most remarkable is that every one of them enlisted voluntarily. According to The New York Times, a fifth of the dead had enlisted two, three or four times. Interviews with Iraq veterans who have re-enlisted show how deeply many of them believe in...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2005 – A majority of Iraq's citizens have approved their country's new constitution, an event the top U.S. diplomat called "a remarkable story." Iraqis "achieved yet another step on their march toward democracy," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said to reporters today during a trip Ottawa, Canada. Iraqis voted on the new constitution during an Oct. 15 referendum. The Iraqi government today announced that 78 percent of voters approved the document. Each time Iraqis faced a challenge since the fall of Saddam Hussein they've met it, whether it was in the transfer of sovereignty or the creation...

BAGHDAD, Oct 25: Iraqi voters ratified a new US-backed constitution despite bitter opposition in Sunni areas, results showed on Tuesday. Iraq’s electoral commission, giving final results from the Oct 15 referendum, said 79 per cent of voters backed the constitution against 21 per cent opposed in a poll split largely along sectarian and ethnic lines. Several Shia and Kurdish regions voted between 95 and 99 per cent ‘Yes’; in Sunni-dominated Anbar 97 per cent said ‘No’. Prominent Sunni leaders rejected the referendum as a fraud, warning it could fuel militancy and discourage Sunnis from participating in future elections. Iraqi and...

Iraqi voters have ratified a new constitution by a margin of nearly 4 to 1, election officials announced Tuesday as complete returns showed that the country's disaffected Sunni Arab minority had narrowly failed to muster enough "no" votes in three provinces to block the charter's adoption. The result, declared 10 days after a nationwide referendum, raised cries of protest from some Sunni leaders, who had claimed that the count was being rigged. But Iraqi election officials and U.N. monitors said a selective recount turned up no significant incidents of fraud. Shiite Muslim and ethnic Kurdish politicians leading Iraq's coalition government...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's landmark constitution was adopted by a majority of voters during the country's Oct. 15 referendum, as Sunni Arab opponents failed to muster enough support to defeat it, election officials said Tuesday. Results released by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq showed that Sunni Arabs, who had sharply opposed the draft document, failed to produce the two-thirds "no" vote they would have needed in at least three of Iraq's 18 provinces to defeat it. Nationwide, 78.59 percent voted for the charter while 21.41 percent voted against, the commission said. The charter required a simple majority nationwide with...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 25 - Iraqi electoral officials announced today that a new constitution had been approved by voters, enshrining a legal foundation for the future governance of the country and paving the way for elections for a full-term government in December. Seventy-nine percent of voters approved the constitution in the nationwide referendum held on Oct. 15, the officials said. But the vote was sharply divided along ethnic and sectarian lines. The biggest support came from Shiites and Kurds, who make up about 80 percent of the population, while Sunni Arabs largely rejected the document. The constitution was widely expected...

In yet another setback for the Bush administration, Iraqi electoral officials announced today that voters have approved the new Iraqi Constitution by a margin of 78-to-21 percent. This new bit of bad news will likely drive President George Bush's popularity ratings into the single digits, according to an unnamed expert from a non-partisan, progressive political think-tank. "The Bush foreign policy continues to be fatally-wounded by clarity of purpose, dogged persistence and a pathetic failure to capitulate in the face of opposition," the source said. "At a time when a real leader would be paralyzed with self-doubt over the meaningless deaths...

BAGHDAD, Oct. 25 -- Iraqi election officials announced Tuesday that voters approved a new constitution in a nationwide referendum 10 days ago, based on a final tally of votes that had been delayed for more than a week while officials recounted ballots and checked for possible irregularities. In other news, the U.S. military also said that two Marines died last Friday when the vehicle in which they were traveling was attacked by a roadside bomb, bringing to 1,999 the number of U.S. military fatalities sustained since the March 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, according to tallies by the Associated...

Oct 25, 2005 — Final results from Iraq's constitutional referendum, as reported by election officials. The name of each province is followed by its capital in parentheses. BAGHDAD (Baghdad) Yes: 77.70 percent No: 22.30 percent Votes cast: 2,120,615. ANBAR (Ramadi): Yes: 3.04 percent. No: 96. 96 percent. Votes cast: 259,919. DIYALA (Baqouba) Yes: 51.27 percent No: 48.73 percent Votes cast: 476,980. SALAHUDDIN (Tikrit) Yes:18.25 percent No: 81.75 percent Votes cast: 510,152. NINEVAH (Mosul) Yes: 44.92 percent No: 55.08 percent Votes cast: 718,758. IRBIL (Irbil) Yes:99.36 percent No: 0.64 percent Votes cast: 830,570. DAHUK (Dahuk) Yes: 99.13 percent No: 0.87 percent...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Final results indicate that Iraq's draft constitution has been adopted by Iraqis voting in the Oct. 15 referendum.

President’s job approval hits 45%; Voters optimistic about Iraq after Constitution passage—New Zogby America Poll President Bush, his job approval rating beleaguered by poor marks in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, rebounded from historic lows this summer to 45% in Zogby International’s latest poll, with job approval numbers bumping back up into the range where they have hovered for most of his second term. The survey also found that, while voters do not give the President passing marks on his handling of the Iraq War, half (50%) believe the recently-passed Iraqi constitution is a major step in the right direction...

Although the results of Iraq’s constitutional referendum were almost immediately cast into doubt by fraud allegations, Reza Aslan, whose bestselling book No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam predicted a bright future for democracy in the Islamic world, remained optimistic: “Even before Iraq’s constitution was ratified, dire predictions were being made that it would pave the way for the creation of an Islamic theocracy. But whatever problems the new constitution poses for the future of Iraq, the role of Islam in the state is not likely to be one of them.” Aslan maintained this even while...

After last week's constitutional vote, what's America's primary mission in Iraq? The same as it's been all along: to hunt down terrorists and insurgents, to eliminate Islamo-fascists, including both al-Qaeda forces and the Saddam Hussein loyalists who learned the wrong lesson when they were spared by American troops in 2003. The chattering classes say that mission is not going well. Most Americans in uniform disagree. “I go up on the Hill and everybody's wringing their hands and everybody's worried,” said Gen. John Abizaid, head of the U.S. Central Command. “But when I talk to my commanders in the field, when...

Sen. George Allen said Sunday that last week's vote on the Iraqi constitution shows that the U.S. is making "great progress" in the war on terror - contrary to claims of Bush administration critics who say the White House has no plan for success in Iraq. "There has just been a monumental benchmark achieved," Allen told NBC's "Meet the Press." "Now, they're still counting the votes, but it appears that the people of Iraq, in stronger numbers that even in January of this year, have come out and voted for this constitution. The Virginia Republican noted that the Iraq constitution...

Indications crucial Iraqi province leaning toward 'yes' vote Sunni-majority provinces play major role in fate of draft constitution Saturday, October 22, 2005; Posted: 1:18 p.m. EDT (17:18 GMT) BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Voters in Diyala province -- the district north of Baghdad with a majority Sunni Arab population -- are backing the country's draft constitution, according to early figures released from last week's referendum on the law. This is a significant development because of the Sunni Arab opposition to the proposed constitution, and a good sign for those who support the legal document, which has widespread backing from Shiites and...

Volume 011, Issue 07 When Iraqis went to the polls, the best news was what didn't happen. Baghdad I WAS IN BAQUBA during Iraq's January elections, having hitched a ride with the U.S. Army to a polling site. There were bombs exploding, mortars falling, and hot machine guns. The fact that the voting was going great despite the violence was something few people expected. Until that day, I'd been skeptical about Iraq. Not fashionably cynical, merely skeptical. We could all hear what President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and other elected leaders were saying, but they are politicians. We also could...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Electoral Commission said Saturday that no significant fraud had been found in Iraq's landmark constitutional referendum, while experts pored over votes to ensure no irregularities occurred in a key province that could determine the final outcome. The commission released partial figures from 13 of Iraq's 18 provinces, but the audit of votes in the northwestern province of Ninevah meant the final outcome from the Oct. 15 referendum would not be made public before Monday or Tuesday. The audit, which began Saturday in Ninevah and was wrapping up in three other provinces, was ordered after unusually high...

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Members of 2d Marine Division and Iraqi security forces wrapped up security operations Oct. 16 in support of the Constitutional Referendum in al Anbar Province. The voter turnout in the province was far better than what it was during the national elections held last January, with more than 100,000 eligible voters participating in the process. “I am extremely pleased with the role 2d Marine Division and our partners in the Iraqi security forces played in helping to provide a safe and secure environment for the citizens of al Anbar to go to the polls,” said 2d Marine...

Iraq's constitutional referendum last week went better than anticipated, given the daily violence in the areas of the country dominated by the Sunni majority. Unofficial results indicate Iraqis voted heavily in favour of adopting the new constitution. The results of last January's election are vindicated as Iraqis now prepare for parliamentary elections scheduled for Dec. 15, and the making of a new government for a free and democratic Iraq. Last month in this space, I predicted a favourable outcome for the Oct. 15 vote. The reasoning was simple. I suggested since half the voting population are women they would vote...

I may have missed it; but I think the MSM just glossed over it; but has anyone seen the final count on the Iraq Constitution? I believe it had to have passed or the MSM would have painted the world with the news of it's failure; but I haven't seen anything? Anyone have any information?

Iraqi men and women come to polling places to cast their vote on the constitutional referendum. Scenes include men and women walking to the polling places, people walking out of the polling places, guards at the polling places, men and women dipping their finger in ink, men and women placing their ballots in the box, men and women getting their ballots. Watch Video

Big week for Uncle Sam. First, there was the referendum on the new Iraqi constitution, which, by the way, contains all provisions necessary for a sharia-ruled state. Then, at the president's by-now-annual Ramadan dinner, President Bush announced, "For the first time in our nation's history, we have added a Koran to the White House Library." Anything wrong with this undoubtedly historic picture? Freedom marches on in Iraq, and tolerance expands its reach at home, or so they say. But I would put it this way: Democracy marches on in Iraq, and the Koran expands its reach at home. Same thing?...

On Saturday, millions of Iraqis walked with determination to the polls to vote for a new constitution. The turnout was high. The violence was down dramatically from the triumphant elections of January. But the network found all this boring. On the night before the historic vote, ABC led with bird-flu panic. CBS imagined Karl Rove in a prison jumpsuit. NBC hyped inflation. They say that news is a man-bites-dog story. In the Middle East, how common is a constitutional referendum? Have they had one in Egypt? Saudi Arabia? Syria? Jordan? Until the last few years, the phrase "Arab constitutional democracy"...

Tolerating the Iraqi ConstitutionBy Lisa Fabrizio Published 10/19/2005 12:06:25 AM The look on Dick Durbin's face said it all. Involuntary muscles drew down the sides of his mouth as he attempted a forced smile but succeeded in producing only a grimace. The occasion was the appearance of the Democratic Senator on Fox News Sunday to discuss the Iraq constitutional referendum. As always, the latest good news from Iraq sits like a large lump in the throats of the president's enemies. After pooh-poohing the historic voter turnout across Iraq, Durbin -- who has compared U.S. treatment of Gitmo prisoners with that...

The bishops of Iraq look set to beg the Pope to make one last plea for democracy as the early results of the country's constitution sparked dismay among Christians. The news service of the charity Aid to the Church in Need reports that with early indications following Saturday's referendum pointing to majority support for Iraq's draft permanent constitution, the bishops remain fearful that the country is one step closer to becoming an Islamic state intolerant to non-Muslims. Last month, the Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, Emmanuel III Delly, met the President and Prime Minister of Iraq to spell out...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005 ) -- Marines from throughout 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) put their regularly duties on hold and took an active role in safely transporting Iraqi poll workers during the Iraqi Constitution referendum. Operation Liberty Express ended Oct. 18, as the successful Iraqi poll workers and the cast ballots flew out of Al Asad, Iraq, and into history. The Marines, who spent days and nights making sure the vote was able to happen safely were finally able to get some rest. “First couple of nights we worked for 18 straight hours,” said Staff Sgt. William...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005 ) -- As statues of Saddam Hussein fell across Iraq, he watched from a television, safe in Glendale, Ariz. Then, he volunteered his safety and freedom to serve with the Marines in Iraq and to help bring freedom and democracy to his homeland. Gaby Biroutta, an interpreter with 1st Brigade Service Support Group, has been in Iraq for more than seven months, bridging the crucial communication gap between Marines and the citizens of Iraq. Biroutta, an Assyrian Christian whose family fled Iraq while Saddam’s regime was in power, speaks English, Arabic, Assyrian, Armenic, Kurdish...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Final results from Iraq's landmark referendum on a new constitution will likely not be announced until Friday at the earliest because of delays getting counts to the capital and a wide-ranging audit of an unexpectedly high number of "yes" votes, election officials said. The returns have raised questions over the possibility of irregularities in the balloting. With the delays, the outcome of the crucial referendum will remain up in the air possibly into next week, at a time when the government had hoped to move public attention to a new milestone: the start of the trial of...

BAGHDAD, Iraq --- Democrats expressed dismay and outrage at the new Iraqi constitution that appears set for passage today. The document, that starts off with the phrase "In the name of God," does not guarantee a woman's right to choose or government-run healthcare. "Bush is screwing it up again," said Howard Dean. "He had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a constitution that's even better and clearer than our own, and he blew it. Blew it! This place could be a paradise where God is not allowed to be mentioned in any government documents or on any government property. Healthcare could...

Families and Friends of the Vanguard Brigade Yesterday was a great day for Iraq! Iraqis defied both insurgents and terrorists claims of impending violence and voted on the Constitution. Even though there were numerous threat warnings and predictions of violence, it was actually a very quiet day in our area of operations. Nothing impacted the Referendum. We would characterize the mood as the same as one of our National Holidays. The activity around the polling centers was steady, and we would say the citizens’ mood was one of quiet determination – determination to vote. The Iraqi Police, the Police Commandos,...

PARIS, 17 Oct. (IPS) The international community, including Iran, welcomed the referendum of the Iraqi Constitution submitted to popular vote on Saturday 15 October and hoped that the result, in case it is positive as expected, would open the way for a smooth and gradual withdrawal of foreign presence and to the end of bloody violence attributed to so-called islamist jihadis. Despite their fears that the Constitution would lead to the division, -- if not the end to the country’s territorial integrity -- along religion and community boundaries that cut them not only from oil resources concentrated in the north...

While the world will have to wait a few days for final confirmation that Iraqis accepted their proposed constitution, it's not too soon to see who the victors are - the Free Iraqis and those who placed a bet the idea that democracy could advance in the Middle East. The first success was in the turn-out. An estimated 10 million Iraqis – two-thirds of those eligible - voted, an increase from the more than 8 million who voted in January's historic elections. Iraqis once again cast their ballots despite threats from the terrorists who warned them to reject democracy. The...

Iraqis Probe 'Unusually High' Yes Tally By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago Iraq's election commission announced Monday that officials were investigating "unusually high" numbers of "yes" votes in about a dozen provinces during Iraq's landmark referendum on a new constitution, raising questions about irregularities in the balloting. Word of the review came as Sunni Arab leaders repeated accusations of fraud after initial reports from the provinces suggested the constitution had passed. Among the Sunni allegations are that police took ballot boxes from heavily "no" districts, and that some "yes" areas had more votes than registered voters. The...

Now that the Iraqi Constitution has been passed and there is a formal Iraqi gummit, the Iraq War is Over. To pretend that this is anything other than a clean-up operation is a farce. To still call this a War has as much credibility as calling Drunk Uncle Ted a poster boy for poverty or the protector of Women. What is left in Iraq are continued training of the Iraqi Army and killing the foreign mercenaries. This has been one of the great military achievements in the history of the planet. The free and legal vote of a formerly oppressed...

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has hailed the Iraqi people for "their incredible courage" in voting in large numbers on a constitutional referendum but cast doubt on whether this would lead to an easing of violence. "I think the Iraqi population showed incredible courage, going to vote in large numbers despite the security situation on the ground," the UN chief said. "We had hoped that the constitutional process would have been an exercise that would have been totally inclusive, and pull together all the Iraqis, helping with reconciliation. "Obviously, that did not happen and has not happened." He said that...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – Since soldiers of 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, took over operations in the Khadamiyah district in western Baghdad Sept. 10, they've been conducting patrols every day, contributing to the security of Iraq. Oct. 15 was not much different from any other day except that these 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, soldiers had an opportunity to witness a historic event - Iraqis voting in a democratic constitutional referendum. "It was great to see the Iraqis get the chance to express their opinions," said Army Pfc. Francesco Borsellino, of B Troop, 1/71 Cav. "The Iraqi...

Iraqi Elections Were Peaceful And Protected By Iraqi Soldiers: In Iraq, Saturday "Turned Out To Be The Most Peaceful [Day] In Months ..." (Lee Keath, "Sunni Arabs Turn Out In Big Numbers For Iraqi Vote On Constitution" The Associated Press, 10/16/05) "[I]nsurgency Violence Was Minimal Compared With The Last Poll [In January]." (Farnaz Fassihi, Philip Shishkin and Greg Jaffe, "Sunnis' Turnout Points To Role In Iraqi Politics," The Wall Street Journal, 10/17/05) "Only One Of Baghdad's 1,200 Polling Stations Came Under Attack." (Farnaz Fassihi, Philip Shishkin and Greg Jaffe, "Sunnis' Turnout Points To Role In Iraqi Politics," The Wall Street...

A group of Iraqi men in Tall Afar, Iraq, talk to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher Gibson, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, about the country's constitutional referendum, Oct. 15, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. James Wilt Paratroopers Aid Election Security in Tall Afar The Iraqi election day went by without any instances of violencein the paratrooper-controlled sector of the city. By U.S. Army Pfc. James Wilt Task Force White Falcon, 82nd Airborne Division TALL AFAR, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2005 — U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment,...