Iraqi Voters

These are the latest photos from SFC McDonald, taken during the referendum on the Iraqi constitution. The faces speak for themselves. (The ink on the fingers is proof that they voted). Patrick had many interesting things to say about the election itself but this was perhaps the most important. Note that he wrote this dispatch yesterday, after the most recent bombings in Baghdad.

He writes: "Success will not come quickly - it may take years and even more causalities
as we saw today. I think the coalition influence over the system will wane as the Iraqis take hold of their own governance. Within two years we should be mostly out of here leaving behind a token military presence and the world's largest US embassy (which is being built only a few miles away on the banks of the Euphrates River). It is my hope that whatever short term challenges we face here - the long term goal would be a unified Democratic Iraq. As we reach the threshold of 2,000 American deaths I think we owe that to them and to all of us here who have taken a year out of our lives to do what we can - regardless of how we feel about being here in the first place."

We crossed the 2,000 threshold today. There are vigils being held all over tomorrow evening. Light a candle. Pray for peace.