'It's Going To Be An Emotional Moment'

He's one in a million Iraqis outside the country, scattered around the world, who can vote Sunday.

"We have to vote," he says as he cuts Bob Russell's hair at Neva's Barbershop in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood.

Ammar and his family from West Seattle will drive down to Los Angeles to do just that.

"It's going to be an emotional moment, a really nice moment of my life," says Ammar.

It's something this man who escaped Iraq 14 years ago always dreamed about.

"Iraqi people never had that before," says Ammar.

What they've never had, is what many of us take for granted: to vote, in a free election. And to know our vote counts.

With the prospect of freedom and democracy in his homeland, there's hope for a better life, for his two brothers and two sisters who still live there. They'll be heading to the polls.

Ammar worries about them, and the threat of violence.

"Yes I worry about my family, my friends, so I hope when they go out there, they're not going to have a bad day there," says Ammar.

Today is a good day. A good day because Ammar Alshukry knows soon he will do something unimaginable just a few years ago.

He will vote. 'It's Going To Be An Emotional Moment' Ammar Alshukry is driving to Los Angeles to cast his vote in the Iraqi election on Jan. 30 1/27/05 SEATTLE Seattle barber Ammar Alshukry is one in a million. Literally.

He's one in a million Iraqis outside the country, scattered around the world, who can vote Sunday.

"We have to vote," he says as he cuts Bob Russell's hair at Neva's Barbershop in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood.

Ammar and his family from West Seattle will drive down to Los Angeles to do just that.

"It's going to be an emotional moment, a really nice moment of my life," says Ammar.

It's something this man who escaped Iraq 14 years ago always dreamed about.

"Iraqi people never had that before," says Ammar.

What they've never had, is what many of us take for granted: to vote, in a free election. And to know our vote counts.

With the prospect of freedom and democracy in his homeland, there's hope for a better life, for his two brothers and two sisters who still live there. They'll be heading to the polls.

Ammar worries about them, and the threat of violence.

"Yes I worry about my family, my friends, so I hope when they go out there, they're not going to have a bad day there," says Ammar.

Today is a good day. A good day because Ammar Alshukry knows soon he will do something unimaginable just a few years ago.

He will vote.