Elections in Iraq: Managing Expectations

Abstract

January 30, 2005 the people of Iraq participated in their first open election in fifty years. They voted amid confusion, persistent and escalating violence, and a boycott by key players. American anticipation of Iraq's vote was intense; American expectations for it, muted. Mixed messages abounded. The U.S. Department of Defense Defend America news website hit a pre-election optimistic high note: "Iraqi Troops Risk Lives for Elections;" and "Iraqi Democracy Will Be Defined by Iraqis." Meanwhile, mainstream media reported Sunni Arabs were boycotting the vote, Iraqi security forces had deserting some stations, and violence in general was escalating in advance of the elections. Expectation management was in order, and the Bush Administration provided it. The elections, a senior official conceded, would be "messy at best."

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA521531

Entities

People

  • Karen Guttieri

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Administrative Law
  • Agreements
  • Assembly
  • California
  • Civil War
  • Democracy
  • Department Of Defense
  • Elections
  • Governments
  • Kurds
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • Security
  • United Nations
  • United States
  • Violence

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies