International Developments Pre-Election

Not content to just peruse domestic news stories, I surfed the international web for information that could help American voters.

One article speaks of U.S. heavy handed interference in Nicaragua’s Presidential elections. Ever the deliverer of punishment, U.S. officials stated $220 million in economic aid and a CAFTA designation are at risk should the wrong candidate win in the upcoming elections.

The U.S. government shut down one of its own web sites as it had information on how to construct nuclear weapons. Iraqi documents had been placed on the site to show how dangerous Saddam Hussein’s regime had been. Credit the United Nation’s IAEA for the head’s up that the information was freely available online.

People in Britain consider President George Bush nearly as dangerous as Osama bin Laden. Citizens in Canada, Mexico, and Israel also found the United States a threat to world peace.

Bad cop visits Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki after spate of public differences with United States leaders. The ever sinister, historically heavy handed John Negroponte conducted a surprise visit to the Iraqi leader. Did he threaten consequences for not playing along with the plan of showing Iraq in its most positive light pre-elections? How dare Mr. al-Maliki hold up the deformed infant born from exposure to depleted uranium for the world to see?

Bechtel Corp pulls out of Iraq leaving a legacy of failed projects. Even Laura’s children’s hospital in Basra never got close to completion. Now that American led and financed reconstruction is officially over, what will happen? If the U.S. role is only security at this point, how can we be seen as anything other than an occupying force? How are the Iraqi people to feel with public services, electricity, sewage, and safe water at lower levels than under Saddam Hussein in many areas? You’d have to ask them in Syria and Jordan as 100,000 people flee the country on a monthly basis.

The Saddam Hussein trial verdict is due November 5th, two days before the U.S. midterm elections. It’s predictable that the Iraqi dictator will be found guilty and ordered to hang for his crimes against the people of his country. The question is the response to this verdict?

Will the people of differing Islamic sects engage in a U.S. like Rodney King riot? Of course Shia’s would be celebrating the sentence while the Sunni’s would be most upset. The Iraq Defense Minister ordered all military officers to return from leave and promised to call up reserves in anticipation of the trial results.

If the country comes apart at the seams just prior to our elections how will people vote? My guess would have the U.S. electorate angry at any official that perpetrated the invasion of Iraq on falsified information before botching the aftermath.