An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Legacy HomepageNewsSpecial ReportsOperation Inherent ResolveOperation Inherent Resolve Image Gallery

Photo Gallery

Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi places his ballot into a ballot box.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi places his ballot into a ballot box as he casts his vote in Iraq's first free election at a polling station in the Baghdad Convention Center in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 30, 2005. Everyone voting in the historic election has to mark their finger with the ink to indicate they have already voted as a means to deter voting fraud. Millions of Iraqis throughout the country are participating in Iraq's first free election in over 50 years.