Iraqi Elections Underway

Omar at Iraq the Model has the latest. The elections are underway for those located in army bases, detention centers and hospitals. There's been some misinformation campaigns underway despite the fact that there's supposed to be an electoral silence since the Iraqis are now past the deadline for all campaigning activities by all lists and parties. The misinformation includes claims that certain parties and lists have shifted their positions or abandoned various races:

Another form of propaganda war has been used recently; rumors were used to spread false news about several lists withdrawing from the election or joining larger lists.
Local media brought several such news headlines only to refute soon after, for example it was reported that three mainly Shiit lists-the 15th of Sha’ban movement, the Dawa movement and the Independent Technocrats list- have joined the UIA or withdrawn from the election for the benefit of the UIA. But the leaders of at least one of these lists appeared on TV to say that nothing like that happened.

It's curious that on a day when elections are underway in detention centers, we're getting word that another prison was raided and there were claims of abuse at the facility.

And how is it that some folks are using polling data that claims that the Iraqis want the US out now, when that's clearly not the case. And there is no way to spin the fact that the Iraqis think that better times are clearly ahead (from the AP story):

Three-quarters say they are confident about the parliamentary elections scheduled for this week. More than two-thirds expect things in their country to get better in the coming months.

Ed Morrisey also debunks the statement made by Murtha that claimed that 80% of Iraqis wanted the US out now:

It turns out that 80% of Iraqis don't want the Americans out "right now", but only 26%. In fact, 52% want the US to leave no sooner than when their army and security forces have received adequate training to handle internal and external threats by themselves -- which is exactly what the Bush administration plan requires.

It would appear that Murtha purposefully conflated the two numbers to claim something that wasn't the case. Curious.

UPDATE:
Submitted to Basil's Blog lunch reading.