Weekend Update - Alternative Iraqi Version

Baghdhad, Iraq
33°21' North; 44°25' West

One of the things we can never forgive fellow Canuckistan passport holder Lorne Michaels for is the fact that he gave, however unwittingly, Dennis Miller the cachet to make a living as a neanderconnish opportunistic opiner based purely on the fact that he was lucky enough to follow the wacky/insightful duo of Chevy Chase and Jane Curtain on SNL's 'Weekend Update'.

But something that irks us even more is the fact that the CBC appeared to become part of the Neandercon Whirlitzer during its weekend updates on the Iraqi Election. For example, how could any offshore news organization give immediate credence to claims of first 72%, then above 60%, then above 57%, voting turnouts when live reports were only allowed at 5 of more than 5000 polling stations?

That's not to say that good things did not happen in Iraq yesterday, but clearly alternatives are required for anyone who wishes to really pay attention. Thus, the following are offered for your consideration:

Dahr Jamail: For our money, the best day-to-day coverage from anybody in Iraq.

Electronic Iraq: A clearing house with an anti-occupation stance that must always be taken into account. Regardless, Jo Wilding's posts are worth their weight in gold.

The Agonist: Combination wire service/clearinghouse/opinion/blog with an anti-war slant. Wide ranging, good, and up to the minute.

Christopher Allbritton: Western reporter on the ground in Iraq who is not afraid to venture out of the green zone; realtime reportage.

And don't forget Juan Cole, who once again connects the dots to demonstrate that the Iraqi election came about in spite of Mr. Bush and the Neandercons rather than because of them due to the constant pressure of Shiite cleric Sistani.

___
Thanks to ASZ man of international man of mystery Bradford Child for reminding us how important alternatives are.
Update: My Blahg takes the JCole view and supplements it with stuff from Needlenose; 'lively' discussion over there.