Iraqi election update

Since I'm up:

Suicide bombers attacked at least three voting centers in western Baghdad on Sunday, killing a total of eight people, including three bombers, police and witnesses said.

One policeman was killed and nine people were injured in the first attack, which occurred in the Dawoudi neighborhood.

Another bomber struck the al-Quds school, killing three policeman and one civilian, officials said. Six people were wounded.

The third bomber attacked the Mutamaizen Secondary School in the Mansour district, injuring three policemen, officials said.

FOX News just reported there's been five bombings, a dozen killed. MSNBC has a man on the ground in Ramadi, a city of 600,000 or so, and he's telling us a total of 150 people have voted so far.

I would think this is what most people expected though. Higher turnouts in the areas that are safer, and lighter turnouts as you hit the areas that are less safe.

Is it a success? Well, I guess so, in that elections are occuring. But it's clearly not going to put an end to the violence.

I doubt we will see a great number of bombs going off in the country, and you will see that called a success. In a sense, that's true. But the insurgents are not stupid and probably will not come out in a situation that does not benefit them.

*UPDATE* For updates actually from Iraq, try the aptly named Back to Iraq. Otherwise, latest reports say nine bombers, close to thirty dead.