Is Juan Cole right?

In a word, no! Omar translates comments on an open forum at the Arabic BBC site.

Here's just a few.

"I m from Mosul and I would like to declare to the whole world that I would love to vote but unfortunately it's impossible for me as my town has been occupied by Ba'athists and and the Salafis for two months now and I put all the responsibility on the Iraqi government and coalition forces. Don’t they know that there's no sign of the authorities in this city?"

Jalal Hayder -Mousel

"I'm Sunni and I will go and vote because this makes me feel alive and I will not allow myself to be afraid of the terrorists because if I listen to them then I'll be dead"

Mohammed al kurdy- kerkuk

"Go away cowards. We will go to visit our beloved box!"

Menjal-Baghdad

"Wise people will not vote, not because of the threats but because this election is an American play"

M. Uthman- Sudan

"I'll go to vote and I will not fear the terrorist. I will vote on the 30th and I don’t care if I could get killed by the bombs of the killers because my vote will be for my kids' future"

Ali Baghdadi-Baghdad

"It's hard to convince the Arabs about elections, did we succeed in convincing them that Saddam is a killer?"

Raeed -Iraqi in Sweden

"Even If they cut our bodies or burn us we will vote despite the fact that the terrorist still control my city.
My vote will go to Al Yawer and Allawi if they hang the killers who control the streets of my town before the elections' day"

Omar Wajih -Mousil

"We spend thousands of days in Saddam's needless wars that brought only disasters to my country.
How about a war of our choice for one day to rebuild our country, a war against the terrorist's threats?"

Abdullah-Baghdad

Enough said?