Canada’s chief election officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, appearing on Radio Canada, explains why so few international election workers went to Iraq: “Any observer that we would have sent in would have required deflecting six military persons who are going to be protecting Iraqi electors.” Six troops per observer? Isn’t that a little excessive? Good thing the observers were not up to the challenge. Looks like they weren’t needed anyway. While on the topic, where were all those human shields? Isn’t protecting freedom as compelling as defending Saddam Hussein?