Thanks to George W. Bush

I'm sending this one out especially for all those 'conflicted' folk who would like to remain true to their values and be pleased about the Iraqi election but don't want George Bush to be able to take any of the credit for it. Like the editor of the Independent:

It would be utterly wrong, now or in the future, for President George Bush or the prime minister to claim that Iraq's elections vindicate their invasion...

Now or in the future, forever and ever, no WMD. Rather than helping such people out by the elaboration of some elementary causal connections, I'll just try to soften their hostility towards George Bush with a sort of collage of Iraqi voices:

"Even if we just have 40% of a democracy this time, then next time it will be 80% and it will get better and better," said Abdul Amir Latif, 50, a worker and a deserter from Saddam's army. "The Americans did us a favour."

"But we are against the occupation and the Americans should leave," Mr Jubaidi said to him. "But if the Americans didn't topple Saddam, he would have ruled us for generation after generation," replied Mr Latif. "They did us a favour, now they should make a timetable and then leave."

And then there's this (via Steve Kingston):

"We will build a statue for Bush," said Ali Fadel, the former provincial council chairman. "He is the symbol of freedom."
.....
"... we are especially grateful to the soldiers of the U.S.A. for freeing our country of tyranny," Fadel said.

And this:

George Bush has freed us and we are grateful forever for this... Maybe Bush did not do it the way that the world wanted him to, but he has done a wonderful thing...

And this:

Saddam Hussein was a brutal, evil man who cared nothing for humans. I wish that I could tell all those protestors I see booing Bush to stay at home because he has done such a fantastic thing for my people.

And this (hat tip: Julie):

This was a message by the Iraqi people to the American people and their great president. It was the heart of Iraq answering the heart of America that voted to give the President the mandate to finish the task; it was the answer that the common people of Iraq gave by braving danger and exposing their life and that of their children and families to death, this was their way to make their voice heard.

Well, thank you Mr. President, we heard you; and I am sure you also heard us.

And this (hat tip: Matewan):

[A] baby born in [a] Baghdad maternity hospital yesterday has been named Intikhabat - the Arabic word for "Elections"...

They seem to get it, you see, but they haven't learnt the sophistriesicated arguments of some of the anti-war crowd.