Feb 16, 2004
"Democracy" in Iraq
As many of us have predicted all along the simple-minded slogans about bringing"democracy" to Iraq are now starting to appear a bit more complicated than the neo-cons would like to admit. What if a clear majority of Iraq's citizens want to use Islamic law as a basis for the country's constitution? Well as Iraq czar Paul Bremmer says in this NYT piece "It can't be law until I sign it."
What exactly does democracy mean in a country as badly divided and fractured as Iraq? I fear it means an unpopular U.S. backed regime without any real support except from U.S. troops. How long before we impose some formerly exiled croonie of the Bush White House as president in a caucus process that Shittes won't like and Sunni's will probably boycott? Unlike Iraq's last president not elected by the people and supported by the military I suspect that the the new one will probably not wear a beret.