LAT Makes Up For Yesterday's Slight

Yesterday, the LATimes buried the Iraqi vote in the US on the last page of the front section. They made up for their error today with a great page one story on a group of Seattle Iraqis who caravaned to OC to vote. (here)

Highlights:

"Last month they kidnapped my uncle from his house in Baghdad," Sadik says about the insurgents, her breath a white plume in the inky morning. "He escaped from them. He is safe, but he's still worried. He can't go out. He can't work. He's depressed. He has four kids. The situation is really bad.

"But he's going to vote," says Sadik, whose family came from Baghdad via Syria to Seattle three years ago because her mother wanted the children to have an education, medicines, a future. "He's really excited to vote, so he can live safe with his children. Especially now, after what happened to him. He really wants a better life." ...

"When you have the first election in the history of Iraq, you want to be a part of it. For me, honestly, if I don't take part, I give up on my own people and tell the terrorists over there, 'you won,' " says Muhamed Qatrani. ...

Qatrani gets his ballot at 2:07 p.m. and sticks an index finger into the purple ink pot, a security measure to ensure that no expatriate votes twice. He holds the inky digit up with a smile. He steps behind a cardboard screen, and it's over in a moment. He stuffs his ballot into the plastic box and kisses his wife.

"Hopefully, we will see you in Iraq," a poll worker tells the grinning man. "Inshallah, inshallah," Qatrani responds, "God willing, God willing."