COLUMN: Witnessing miracles in Iraq

On Sunday, Jan. 30, I witnessed something wonderful that I never thought I would see in my lifetime, and that was Iraqis going to the polls.

I’ll be honest with you. I had my doubts that the Iraqis could have pulled it off, but I realize now that the insurgents are cowards. They talked tough, saying that any Iraqi who voted would be killed, and the blood of Iraqis would be spilt throughout the streets. But despite all these threats, Iraqi citizens stood in line and voted and showed the terrorists that they were no longer fighting against the American military, but they were fighting their own countrymen, whose wills were stronger than theirs.

I feel very strongly that we have turned a very important corner in Iraq. I’m very hopeful that the insurgents will now lay down their weapons and realize that they are fighting for the wrong cause. I’m not saying that the road will be easy, that everything will be just great. We will still have major bumps in the road, but we have turned the corner and I am truly grateful to have witnessed history.

For three decades, the Iraqi people have been under the iron hand of Saddam Hussein, and they could only vote for him, but today they have many different candidates to choose from, and they don’t have to live in fear that if they choose the wrong candidate, they will be killed. They can now choose who they want, thanks to the coalition and Iraqi forces, and the people who had the courage to vote. I am hopeful that the new Iraqi assembly, which is made up of 270 members, will reach out to those who did not participate in this historic election.

I salute every Iraqi citizen who has the world-famous blue ink on his finger. They showed those insurgents that courage, not fear, will always win out. That’s what I’m feeling today from the chair.

Comments can be sent to Skylor Pond at spond@cc.usu.edu.