THE TENSION: Iraqis Vote For Parliament

INTERNATIONAL/IRAQ

An Iraqi man holds his child as he marks his ballot for the national elections at a polling station in Baquba, 50 km (30 miles) north of Baghdad December 15, 2005. Polls opened on Thursday in Iraq's first election for a full four-term parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Some 15 million people are eligible to vote in an election which Iraqis hope will end decades of suffering, lift living standards and pave the way for a withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. REUTERS/Bob Strong

Iraqis queue to enter a polling station in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday Dec. 15, 2005. Iraqi voters faced tight security measures Thursday as they cast ballots in the first parliamentary election since the fall of Saddam Hussein, an election which the U.S. hopes will build democracy and lay the groundwork for American troops to withdraw. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

COMMENTARY
For all the attention the mainstream media gives Iraq, I'll wager very few readers know the issues or candidates driving the election.

NEWSBYTES
Split Between Secular and Islamist Parties Is Seen in Election
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Thursday, Dec. 15 (NYT Online) - Iraqi voters began streaming to the polls Thursday morning in nationwide elections as Iraqi leaders predicted that the vote would split almost evenly between secular and Islamist parties and usher in lengthy political maneuvering.

Parlement, Seats, Government
Candidates

Mortar lands near Green Zone as polls open
(USA Today) BAGHDAD — Iraqis lined up amid tight security Thursday to vote in a historic parliamentary election the U.S. hopes will lay the groundwork for American troops to withdraw, with a mortar landing near the heavily fortified Green Zone just minutes after polls opened

Iraqis voting in historic election
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Under heightened security and the hope for a new beginning in the midst of a bloody insurgency, millions of Iraqis headed to the polls Thursday in a historic election for a new parliament.

Iraqis vote for first full parliament since Saddam
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqis vote for a new government on Thursday in the hope it will end decades of suffering, boost living standards and pave the way for U.S.-led troops to leave, nearly three years after they invaded.

Iraqis Vote for 1st Full-Term Parliament
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqis voted in a historic parliamentary election Thursday, with strong turnout reported in Sunni Arab areas that had shunned balloting last January, bolstering U.S. hopes of calming the insurgency enough to begin withdrawing its troops. Several explosions rocked Baghdad as...

Iraqis Vote in Large Numbers to Fill Parliament
(FOX News) According to reports, Iraq's Sunni and Shiite religious communities turned out in strong numbers to elect representatives to parliament.

TENSION: Determined to find self
GRAVITY: Boots on the ground

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