Posted on 02/13/2005 10:17:48 PM PST by F14 Pilot
When the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq two years ago, it envisioned a quick handover to handpicked allies in a secular government that would be the antithesis of Iran's theocracy -- potentially even a foil to Tehran's regional ambitions.
But, in one of the greatest ironies of the U.S. intervention, Iraqis instead went to the polls and elected a government with a strong religious base -- and very close ties to the Islamic republic next door. It is the last thing the administration expected from its costly Iraq policy -- $300 billion and counting, U.S. and regional analysts say.
Yesterday, the White House heralded the election and credited the U.S. role. In a statement, President Bush praised Iraqis "for defying terrorist threats and setting their country on the path of democracy and freedom. And I congratulate every candidate who stood for election and those who will take office once the results are certified."
Yet the top two winning parties -- which together won more than 70 percent of the vote and are expected to name Iraq's new prime minister and president -- are Iran's closest allies in Iraq.
Thousands of members of the United Iraqi Alliance, a Shiite-dominated slate that won almost half of the 8.5 million votes and will name the prime minister, spent decades in exile in Iran. Most of the militia members in its largest faction were trained in Shiite-dominated Iran.
And the winning Kurdish alliance, whose co-leader Jalal Talabani is the top nominee for president, has roots in a province abutting Iran, which long served as its economic and political lifeline.
"This is a government that will have very good relations with Iran. The Kurdish victory reinforces this conclusion. Talabani is very close to Tehran," said Juan Cole, a
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
We need the Post to point out the obvious? Democracy for the Middle East = Secular governments....a real pickle. I say develop an alternative energy to oil and let's bug out of there in the long run.
Boy, the Post is just churning out derrogatory articles 24/7, aren't they?
the poor Post.
Our vision was to let the people of Iraq vote for the government they decided they wanted.
That was really it.
I know they can't believe it's something so simple.
One of the guys at the top of this 'anti-US' list is Chalabi who was accused by these same media morons as being a US puppet for the last few years.
Isn't Robin Wright the Post's fashion editor? Who let her into the news section?
Obviously the Post is hoping for the worst. How awful if Iraq proves Bush right by becoming a regime hostile to the autocrats who run the Arab league!
There they go quoting Juan Cole again. I can spot his name in an article and then tell you what the message of the piece will be. NYTimes, WaPo ... MAN! that guy makes the rounds!
"It'll NEVER work", you say? Yeah, I got that, already. Thanks, Juan. NEXT! [rolleyes]
Bump for later ....
They don't tell you that the mullahcracy in Iran is the exception, not the rule.
You are free to believe the Post, however, if you wish...
Dear, the puppy needs to go--put down some more Washington Post.
I agree. There are many educated folks in Iran that had a good life inder the Shah. Unfortunately a minority gained control and has held fast. If any country can make democracy work in the ME it is Iran. Give them 8-10 years?
exactly!
That is a big difference between secular people of Iran and the silly radicals in the Arab world.
I have a German friend who travelled to Iran 3 years ago and he told me, Iran is like europe of the middle east. People are secular and they are very chic and modern.
I was surprised by his quotes
In the Old Days the CIA would have gone in deposed Saddam and installed a puppet. It may not have been pretty but it would keep the peace in the region.
The Shiite leaders say there is a similar but less formal agreement that clerics will also be excluded from running the government ministries. "There will be no turbans in the government," said Adnan Ali, a senior leader of the Dawa Party, one of the largest Shiite parties. "Everyone agrees on that."Anti-Iraq leftists and paleocons are trying to spin the election results as a defeat for Bush, that is the trendy new thing to do. In fact, the leaders of the main Shi'ite coalition said they intended for secular rule. Their slogan is:
There will be no turbans [clerics] in the governmentI won't believe that the new Shi'ite rulers of Iraq are going to create a theocracy until I see it. Until then, I'll take them at their word.
Author can not understand the basic values of freedom and democracy and freedom to choose.
She should be sent to college again!
Yup. I've seen his name pop up all over. He was the first to discover that the Iraqi elections were actually bad for Bush </sarcasm> He's been saying that the Shi'ites will turn the country into an Islamofascist state (although he wouldn't use that term because it's declasse)
If, on the 1st day of the offical gov't they all wore stetsons, the Post etal woild blow a gasket. It would be so funny. I can hope, can't I?
I'm not sure it is that simple. We don't want the resulting government to be hostile to the U.S.
That said, I also don't buy much of what the Washington Post spins on anything. Also, it is still an unfolding situation. The party with the most power may be a religous islamic sympathetic goverment, but they have not yet become totalitarian.
What the post is doing is predicting the future one day after the results of the election. That is not news. That is opinion. Was the article written as an editorial? I did not look.
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