Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Benny Martinez
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Amid fears of attacks, Iraqis rushed the polls this weekend to choose their future leaders in the country’s second ever parliamentary election.

Despite some acts of violence on the part of al-Qaeda and other extremist groups that left 38 dead, the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad said the election “went very, very well.”

Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. military commander in the country, said that most of the casualties resulted from one single attack in Baghdad that brought down an apartment building.

"In the rest of Iraq, it was extremely peaceful," he said. "I was very impressed with the coordination and work done by the Iraqi security forces."

President Barack Obama also commended the Iraqi people for the strong turnout at nearly 50,000 voting booths. The President said that nearly 19 million Iraqis exercised their right to vote “with enthusiasm and optimism.”

“[The election] makes it clear that the future of Iraq belongs to the people of Iraq,” Obama said.

Ballots are being counted but it will most likely be months until results from the historic election are finalized.