Dang that democracy
Ok, for all you “First free elections EVER!” people, ponder this bit from Juan Cole:
Even as Cheney was pooh-poohing the notion of Iraqi theocracy, Sistani’s close colleague Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Ishaq al-Fayyad said, “We warn officials against a separation of the state and religion.” Then Sistani’s spokesman came out and said that the Grand Ayatollah Sistani “wants the source of legislation to be Islam.”
Oops. Seems our flunky Allawi is gonna be looking for a job, and the people of Iraq are on the path to making a “democratically” elected government that resembles Iran.
Ok, lets see if this stands. If it does, and we leave when they ask, then perhaps, as a side effect of taking over the country, we might have started the beginning of a process that will result in something resembling democracy in Iraq.
I ain’t holding my breath.
