Meanwhile In Iraq

IBD Editorials ^ | September 25, 2008

[Kaslin]

Democracy: Lawmakers in Iraq reached a crucial milestone this week by approving provincial elections. This is more evidence for the "reconciliation" that Barack Obama claims not to see.

---

Good news is no news these days, especially when it comes from Iraq. So you might have missed the story about the political breakthrough in the Iraqi parliament, which approved legislation to hold a new round of provincial elections early next year.

The bill — which awaits approval by a three-person presidential council — is important because it sets up the first provincial vote in four years and because the voting promises to be more inclusive than before.

Sunni Iraqis largely boycotted the earlier provincial elections out of mistrust toward the Shiite-dominated national government. The vote did nothing to stop the insurgency and may actually have made it worse.

Now most of the Sunnis have turned against violence, cast their lot with the democratic process and are ready to take a larger role in the national life. "The coming elections will change the Iraqi political map," said one Sunni lawmaker.

This is the key point: They will change the map peacefully — not through car bombs, but through the ballot box.

Dare we say that democracy is advancing in Iraq? And isn't this a shining example of the "reconciliation" that Barack Obama, among others, still claims to be waiting for?

Obama admitted earlier this month that President Bush's troop surge had succeeded "beyond our wildest dreams" in reducing violence. But he insisted that it had yet to produce the desired political dividends.

[rvoitier]

Now most of the Sunnis have turned against violence, cast their lot with the democratic process and are ready to take a larger role in the national life. "The coming elections will change the Iraqi political map," said one Sunni lawmaker.

This is the key point: They will change the map peacefully — not through car bombs, but through the ballot box.

Thanks for posting this.

[popdonnelly]

Looks like the government of Iraq is making more progress than ours is. Which is not surprising.