The weekend vote on the Iraqi draft constitution was another small but important step toward democracy for that country — and perhaps toward an eventual U.S. military withdrawal.
The vote contained several bright spots for the Bush administration. Turnout was large — even among minority Sunnis who largely rejected the new constitution — suggesting that most Iraqis have bought into the political process. It was also a relief to hear that Election Day bloodshed was minimal — insurgents apparently decided to fight another day.
And that is the bad news: There is evidence that the insurgency continues to grow in strength despite the incremental political progress. The Bush administration’s central thesis — that as democratic institutions in Iraq take root, the insurgency will lose popular support and wither — doesn’t seem to be happening, at least not yet.
After the Dec. 15 election to elect a new Iraqi parliament, an anxious world will begin to see whether the new government can pull together its fractious ethnic and religious elements and stand on its own. Will we see political accommodation or outright civil war?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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18 Comments
What a farce. The Iraqi constitution is worthless scrap of paper without any power to govern, but just another excuse to keep our soldiers dying in Iraq. { The lockdown only permitted those who would vote “yes” to vote}.
Only with another bonus: The Sharon/cabal in Washington, directing Bush, was busy massing troops on the Syrian border to widen Israel’s war to including invading Iraq { notice crude oil is starting upward again }.
How much is Israel going to make us pay for gasoline? $50 dollars a gallon?
correction: invading Syria
That lousey scrap of paper cost American soldiers 25,000 either dead or with limbs blown-off.
Between now and December, how many more soldiers must pay Israel’s price?
How many more flaqg-draped cofins, that we are not allowed to see, will Rumsfeld sneak-off Airplanes?
This crap needs to stop now, and our blinking Bush should resign.
At some point he needs to :”Just say No” to Ariel Sharon and Karl Rove’s bunch.
This “thing” is bankrupting our country, killing and maiming our soldiers, and for what?
WAR BAD.PEACE GOOD.STOP WAR.START PEACE.SIMPLE ENOUGH?
I just read in the Times that the voter turnout in 12 provinces was 99%. Something smells a little fishy! Looks like we’ve taught the Iraqis Democracy….GOP style.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/17/international/middleeast/17cnd-ballot.html?ei=5094&en=6b936c6ff54e6da8&hp=&ex=1129608000&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1129584005-tAs8lb8JwWSDcs6Rkc3maA
I think both democrats and republicans know that Bush is a stupid fool, and that’s not name calling, that’s just a fact.
We need to ask him to either resign or remove our soldiers from Iraq now.
He is needlessly killing our soldiers.
And evidently, he can’t seem to understand that.
Perhaps the “Times” would like to send the ballots over to their Israel and have their Ariel Sharon count them personally.
The “Times” seems to want this “election” to be on the “up and up.”
They seem to be so concerned.
Ed, I don’t see any good alternative to Bush right now. Say we impeach him and he’s convicted. We get Cheney? ACK! That’s kind of like replacing Hitler with Attilla the Hun. And if by some miracle we could get rid of both of them, we get Hassert. I’m not seeing an up side. I COULD see an impeachment process that drags on for the next 3 years. That would tie the idiots in DC up and they’d all be so busy grand-standing, they wouldn’t have time to pass any more stupid laws; Social Security Reform, Tax cuts, etc. Leave the twit in office. He’s a lame duck, his agenda is DOA, he’s doing more to destroy the cohesiveness of the GOP than we could ever do (Miers), and we can count on him being an embarrasment to republicans for at least 3 years. Oh sure, the die-hards are going to defend him, but you know that’s got to hurt! How would you like to have to tell people that you think we should all kiss the president’s ass even though you know he’s a flaming moron? Ouch!
Middle America is where elections are won or lost, and Middle America has got to be feeling pretty sheepish right now. Let president Twit drive them over the edge.
Tracy: War bad? How would you write that in German? Or Russian? Simple enough for you?
XXX
If we get rid of Bush that sure sends a message to whoever comes next that they’re next, if they don’t stop sucking-up to Israeli greed.
Israelis need to be safe, but so does everybody else.
And we’re not going about making them safe or ourselves, or anybody else in the Middle East.
Right now, there is neither law nor order nor justice in Israel.
And, in effect, they’re asking us to kill all of the Arabs and give them all of the land.
We can impose peace in Israel, which will quiet-down everybody else.
Once the “thorn” in the side of the Middle East is removed, Israel and the Middle East will heal…..Together.
Ed, I doubt that anything would change. I think Cheney has more to do with how things have been run than Bush. Bush is just the face we see. For the life of me, I don’t see how people can see our spoilt rich kid president as the Joe Six-pac type you’d like to have a beer with, but there it is. While I don’t particularly dissagree with you, I think Bush will do us more good in the whitehouse than out. He’s rapidly becoming an embarrassment, and Americans are going to have to put up with hubris, corruption, and stupidity for the next 3 years. The question is, will we remember this crap next time we go to the polls? Keep in mind, all the GOP has to do is mention abortion and homosexuals, and half of the country will collectively soil themselves. Sorry, but I’m just about out of optimisim.
Bush/Rumsfeld/Sharon are destroying entire Iraqi villages, they just claimed they killed 70.
How could they possibly know how many they’ve killed?
Oh, and they were all bad guys { even the women and kids }.
There are 25 million Iraqis and when they come to pay us a visit….ouch.
How many people would prefer their spaghetti from a can rather than fixed properly in a restaurant? Probably not many. But the people of Iraq are getting served up a canned artificial constitution from a president who stole two elections and heads a near one-party state.That’s democracy folks. It can be packaged and shipped off to some foreign land, to be supplanted on people by brute force. Today the lucky stiffs of Iraq get to vote on their new constitution. What does that really mean? It’s a propaganda ploy for the new “American Century” where we force the importation of our phony democracy on a foreign government. Those who resist get called “terrorists.”If President George “Frat-rat” Bush believes he is promoting democracy in Iraq, he should take the time to explain to his own people what that word actually means. What do we decide in our election? As far as I can tell, nothing. In America, elections are bought and paid for by the highest bidder. Wealthy corporation get what they want and the rest of us get fleeced.Will the Iraqis thank us for giving that to them? They haven’t all appreciated it so far.
Yeah, Joe, are you referring to the same Soviet Union that couldn’t subdue the Afghanistanis or the Chechyns?
Good thing we spent all that money during the cold war. Otherwise we’d be speaking Russian.
Sheesh . . . Is there any propaganda you don’t believe?
Question: What is the Bush administration doing in Iraq?
Answer: We are trying to create a “Democracy in Iraq.”
The Truth: We can’t create a “Democracy in Iraq” because in a democracy the majority rules. Iraq’s majority is the Shiite sect of Islam. They want an Islamic republic { Islamic Theocracy}. The majority Shiites will vote out any constitution that we thrust on them, and opt for an Islamic State.
Reason: Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and we wish for that to spread.
Answer: False. Israel is not a democracy, but rather a Jewish State { Jewish Theocracy } Note: If you are not Jewish, you cannot become a citizen of Israel by law. As with any religion, Israel holds internal elections for members of that religion only, the same as Iran or any American church or the Catholic pope.Real Reason: We are in Iraq as a Police Force for Israel’s protection indefinitely. Israel does not want to be punished for killing Arabs and stealing their land or prosecuted for numerous or daily war-crimes. { the “constitution thing” is a farce, as are the “elections” }
Question: Why don’t we leave Iraq?
Answer: Israel says no. They do not want their soldiers dying in Iraq. That’s why they’ve taken control of the White House { Bush/cabal } and the Pentagon { Rumsfeld } and are using the US military to do their dirty work.
Note: Washington as well as the MSM knows full well this whole thing is a shame. Even Bush knows that Israel is not a “Democracy.” Not only must your religion be Jewish but also you must be a Jew by race to be a citizen of Israel. No converts allowed.
Summary: The President of the United States is lying to us. He lied about the reasons for going into Iraq. He has continued to lie about the reasons for staying. He is lying about turning Iraq into a “democracy.” He is willing to keep allowing American’s sons and daughters and fathers and mothers to keep dying for the racist Jewish State of Israel, which will not abide by international law, the Geneva conventions or the World Court in Brussels.
Israel is a renegade outlaw State.
He will not stop lying. Our soldiers will not stop dying.
So: What do we do about it?
Democracy in Iraq is impossible, so why did 5 US soldiers die yesterday?
Because they were there?
Ed,Correction: We are in Iraq because, contrary to our propaganda, we negoiate with Terrorists.
Explanation: 1) Al Quida attacks U.S. (bin Lauden’s big gripe is that U.S. troops are in Saudi Arabia) 2) we start drawing our troops down out of Saudi Arabia, 3) Sadam is a threat to Saudi Arabia & our oil interests there.
Ergo: U.S. invasion of Iraq.
I know you won’t believe it, but I think it is a more parsimonious explanation. Also, the reason oil futures went up yesterday, and back down today, were the reports of the building up and lessening of Hurricane Wilma.Regards.
Steven
If all was quiet in the Middle East, oil would not be hovering around 70 dollars, hurricane or no hurricane.
70 dollar oil represents a major threat to production and delivery. That threat has been made to Iran by Bush on channel 3 in Israel.
Bush then backtracked and said the nuclear option was “off the table” Oil traders, however, were not impressed.
Best, Ed