In Saudi Arabia, now gearing up for its first experiment in free voting since 1963 with limited local elections, some news media outlets celebrated the elections and the Iraqis who braved insurgent attacks to cast ballots.
"This is what we have been waiting for -- not appointments, but an election by and for the people, in which the people choose," the English-language Arab News, owned by a Saudi prince, wrote in its lead editorial. "It is what so many all over the world have died for, and that should not be forgotten."
_____More on Elections_____
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Photo Gallery: The end of Iraq's Election Day brought indications of strong turnout, but also reports of at least 30 people killed.
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Transcript: Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid discussed the elections and the latest news from Iraq.
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Transcript: The Post's Jackie Spinner discussed the scene in Irbil, where elation at electing a new Kurdish parliament has Kurds partying in the streets.
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Graphic: Voting Sites Attacked
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Primer: What's Next For Iraq?
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The two most prominent Arab satellite television channels, however, analyzed the elections far differently.
Al-Jazeera, based in Qatar, focused mainly on the confusion surrounding voter turnout, the low Sunni participation and the violence, frequently airing images from Sunday's deadly suicide car bombings. One video clip showed ballots scattered on the ground, covered in blood. "That is not ink," the reporter intoned.
Al-Arabiya, based in Dubai, chose a more sober approach, showcasing ebullient Iraqis and employing several analysts who were generally optimistic in discussing the next steps for Iraq politically. One report featured an Iraqi woman who gave birth Monday to a girl: She named the child Intikhabat -- "elections" in Arabic.
But other Arabs found little to celebrate. Salah Rabia, a gynecologist in Luxor, Egypt, called the elections "a scandal" for what they may bring to Iraq and the region.
The Shiites "can never rule in Iraq," he said. "It's unnatural."
Abbas Rabia, a fellow physician and relative, predicted that "there will be bloodshed."
"The United States is trying to create leaders who will bow to them," he said.
Correspondent Daniel Williams in Luxor contributed to this report.
