by Harold Meyerson

The American Prospect

02/10/05

Suppose, as a result of George W. Bush's decision to go to war there, that Iraq turns into Iran? Just what do we do then? As the vote-counting continues in last month's Iraqi elections, it's clear that the predictable has in fact occurred: The electoral alliance put together and dominated by Iraq's Shiite clerics has swept to power. It will command a clear majority in the National Assembly, with the Kurds, Sunnis and various secular groups bringing up the rear. It will write the national constitution, although, according to the soon-to-be-replaced transitional authority of Ayad Allawi, the new document needs a Kurdish and Sunni buy-in to go into effect. That, at least, is the theory. In practice, the clerics are getting restless. For the first time in Iraq's unhappy history, the Shiite majority will control a national government...

http://www.prospect.org/web/view-web.ww?id=9163


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp