- Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria - Iraqi expatriates in Syria will have the opportunity to vote in this month's Iraqi elections under an agreement signed Sunday between the Syrian government and the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration.

More than 250,000 Iraqis are believed to be living in Syria. Many of them fled here to escape worsening security conditions since the onset of the U.S.-led war that ousted former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last year.

The agreement says Iraqis wishing to cast their votes in Syria must prove their eligibility and register at a Damascus election center from Jan. 17 to 23. Polling will take place over three days, from Jan. 28 to 30.

Syria is controlled by the Baathist Party, very similar if not identical to the Baathist Party that used to run Iraq under Saddam Hussein. While the Syrian government is not as oppressive as Hussein's government, there are many similarties between the two. Hussein held elections in 1996 where he recieved 99 percent of the popular vote. Will the Baathists in Syria operate the Iraqi polling places in much the same way?

Syria is also housing Saddam loyalists who are working with terrorists entering Iraq. You might have heard of some of the terrorists the loyalists are working with. They include those who strap bombs to their waist and shout out Allah Akhbar before detonating their explosives belt in a crowded group of Iraqis. Why would the international community want these types of people to vote in an election that could help bring freedom to millions accross the region?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

Posted by: Chad at 10:16 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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