Tyranny to Democracy (Iraq), by L. Paul Bremer

Wall Street Journal ^ | April 29, 2005 | L. PAUL BREMER

[OESY]

...Despite the amazing progress in Iraq in two short years, some armchair experts carp that we should have moved even faster. Frankly, it's hard to understand what they are thinking....

From the outset, the Coalition recognized that democracy requires more than just elections. We judged that we had a special obligation to help Iraqis design a political and legal structure to guide Iraq's journey from tyranny to democracy. The result, after three months of intense negotiations and compromise, was the interim constitution. This revolutionary document addresses three crucial areas. First, the Coalition insisted that checks and balances guard against the return of one-man rule. So Iraq's national government has a federal structure to dilute the concentration of power in Baghdad characteristic of all previous governments.

The document also provides for the separation of powers among the branches of government, a dramatic change from the concentration in the hands of Saddam and his cronies....

The Coalition also insisted that the interim constitution protect the individual rights of all Iraqis. Now all are equal "without regard to gender, sect, opinion or religion." The document establishes a robust list of freedoms, ones we take for granted but are rare in the Middle East: freedom of religion, speech and assembly, and to join political parties and unions and to strike.

The interim constitution set out a goal that women should constitute a quarter of the National Assembly....

Finally, the interim constitution embodies principles central to the rule of law. Torture is illegal. Search warrants are required, the accused is innocent until proven guilty, and has right to counsel and a free and open trial....

The next step on Iraq's path to democracy is writing a permanent constitution....

[OESY]

Mr. Bremer was administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from May 2003 to June 28, 2004.

[Valin]

Despite the amazing progress in Iraq in two short years, some armchair experts carp that we should have moved even faster. Frankly, it's hard to understand what they are thinking....

Thinking...THINKING? Radical Assumtion Alert!




Thanks for posting this.

[Kaslin]

I just read the editorial in Opinion Journal, be sure to read the responses also in the link on the bottom

[hosepipe]

Democracy is Mob rule...
Islam has always been run by Mob rule..
Islam CANNOT operate without Mob rule..

Saddling Iraq with a democracy is condemning it to socialism..
No democracy ever existed that did not become a socialist state..

Socialism is Slavery by Government.. like in Canada, England, and the URPean countrys..
The U.S. is increasingly becomeing a society of SLAVES..
The United States is becoming a democracy morphed from a Republic..

A FREE republic run by MOBS all mobbed up is NOT free anymore and the States become "territorys" not soverign entitys.. And the word republic becomes disinformation and agitprop useful to calm the slaves while the morphing continues..