PIVOT POINT:

Expatriates Eager to Rock the Iraqi Vote: With hopes high, they are scrambling to be able to cast ballots at 'a pivotal point in history.' (P.J. Huffstutter, January 10, 2005, LA Times)

When Saddam Hussein rose to power in Iraq, Sajad Zalzala was a toddler — too young to walk by himself in the streets of Baghdad, but old enough to sense that he lived in danger.

Relatives and neighbors routinely disappeared. Sometimes, their corpses were returned, tossed in the street.

The Zalzalas settled in the U.S. in the early 1980s and moved to this sprawling suburb of Detroit, home to the country's largest concentration of Iraqis. They stayed in touch with family in Baghdad, and never lost hope that they might someday see a leadership change.

"For years, my family has wanted to do something about the political situation there," said Zalzala, 23, a medical student at Wayne State University. "Finally, we can."

As anticipation grows over Iraq's first competitive election in more than 50 years, residents here say they have been scrambling to get ready for the Jan. 30 vote.

Muslim and Christian leaders in Dearborn have been meeting regularly to figure out ways to help their communities stay up-to-date on the election, in which more than 230 candidate slates are vying for portions of the 275-seat transitional national assembly. Internet chat rooms and e-mail groups dedicated to updates about the voting process abound. At cafes, huddled over checkerboards and cups of thick Turkish coffee, residents vigorously debate the pros and cons of each candidate.

"This is a pivotal point in history," said Sam Yono, an activist with the Iraqi Christian community.

Is there any other country that hosts so many other countries' pivotal moments?

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2005 8:50 AM