"Some Iraqis have said they wonder why American officials called for caucus elections in June, in part because a census could not be completed in less than a year, while at the same time rejecting a plan to produce a census more quickly."
American officials tried to get around al-Sistani's ruling, but finally realized the real power that al-Sistani has, and are now paying lip service to the necessity for real elections. At the same time, they are doing everything in their power to make such elections impossible. Of course, it is unlikely that al-Sistani is a great lover of democracy. He wants a real election because the Shiites have the largest number of voters and thus he will end up with a Shiite-dominated government. If fair elections are allowed, it is inevitable that there will be an anti-occupation government elected, which will immediately make the American presence in Iraq even more indefensible than it is now. The fact that Bush has the audacity to depict himself as the bringer of democracy just adds to the hypocrisy in the American position.
Neera and The Swamp
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David Sirota on What the Neera Tanden affair reveals about the Washington
DC swamp
*Moreover, her particular record would raise significant red flags a...
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