"I'll say yes, yes to the constitution with all 10 of my fingers," said Nada Abdul Hassan Akashi, a 26-year-old mother clad in a black abaya, or traditional robe, who came to vote with her husband and three young daughters. "My daughters were so excited, and I wanted the new generation to see democracy."
In Mosul, a city in the northern, Kurdish area of Iraq, Samir Khalil, a 38-year-old laborer, said he would vote in favor of the constitution because it "represents me and the interests of Iraq."
Violence was actually down compared with the previous election, but some people still employed the "buddy system" for approaching the polls.
physically casting the ballot required strategic calculation. "I am just waiting for someone to come with me," he said, casting a nervous glance down an empty street. "I don't want to be alone in the street, where I'll be the only target."While you're reading the linked article, click on WaPo's photo show, too. Great stuff.
For more on the situation in Iraq, Michael Yon, embedded reporter, has a great blog with on-the-ground reporting on battles and relations between American and Iraqi forces. (I'm late to discovering it because his site was blocked by my highly self-righteous kid-protecting server.)
