Iraq Interim Agreement Postponed

Fox

[The Wizard]

Just announced, the signing in Iraq of the interm constitution has been delayed.....

Sounds like the democrats have offered one side "More" if they get elected

[boxerblues]

d@mn

[The Wizard]

at the last minute Fox says the Shites, (I believe) wouldn't sign...no reason yet

[The Wizard]

Thank you....

[The Wizard]

Drudge:

Signing of interim constitution delayed indefinitely after five Shiite council members reject wording...

[dawn53]

I thought they were postponing the signing until the three days of mourning for the dead (ones killed in the blast a couple days ago) was complete.

[b4its2late]

Shiite!

[Coop]

That delay was supposed to end yesterday, with the signing this afternoon. 4:00 pm Baghdad time, IIRC.

[Semper Paratus]

Shiite happens!

[steve50]

at the last minute Fox says the Shites, (I believe) wouldn't sign...no reason yet

I'd think they're going to link support to a guarentee of elections, and limit power of the IGC until they get them.

[Austin Willard Wright]

No, apparently their objection is to autonomy for the Kurds. They want control. The battle for the power of Bosnia....err Iraq....is beginning.

[The Wizard]

why don't they just make states...

[RonF]

Sure. That makes sense. Someone from the DNC or Kerry's campaign called up people in the Iraq Provisional Government and told them, "Hey, stall signing this for the next 10 months or so and we'll somehow shut your opponents up, keep you in power, and give you a better deal if we're elected." Yeah. That'll work.

Do you buy your aluminum foil by the case at Costco or at Sam's Club? Because you must go through a lot. Gotta change that hat every day, after all.

[RonF]

Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Russia all don't want to see a Kurdistan come into being (it would take land and resources from all of them, I think), and they probably see Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq as a starting point for such.

[Austin Willard Wright]

It is too bad that we didn't. Our best chance for partition was just after victory last year. Now....the Shiites under Sistani have consolidated their control, and are on a roll. I don't see any reason why they will settle for anything else than a unified Iraq under their control. From the standpoint of Middle Eastern power political mores, why should they? Power comes from the barrel of a gun in that part of the world.

The Wilsonians who thought we could transform Baghdad into an Iraqi version of Kansas City or, for that matter, Zurich never considered that pesky detail.

[The Wizard]

they are now suggesting they may still sign today

[Austin Willard Wright]

I agree that Turkish and Iranian opposition was always a roadblock to partition. That's why I was against getting in the middle of this mess from the beginning!

Having said that, once we defeated Saddam I think it was a risk worth taking, despite the tradeoffs. There was a power vacuum then and opportunity to redraw the map along ethnic/religious lines.....Now Sistani has now filled the vacuum and it is too late (without considerble bloodshed).

The Shiites want the whole pie and they are now in a position to take it.

[Hunble]

This is good news!

We won the war and Iraq is now American property. Why the heck should we just give it away?

Iraq had their chance to sign a new Constitution today and they blew it.

All your oil belongs to America now!

[Austin Willard Wright]

That's good news. Hope a miracle happens for everybody's sake.

[The Wizard]

There's a different point of view...