[jmc1969]

This interview was done two years ago when Allawi was leaving office. Its amazing looking back how much he understood exactly what mixing politics and Islam would do to Iraq. Allawi understood that Democracy is a process and needs to be slowly instituted or the religious leaders would simply tell the masses who to vote for and take over, and refuse to allow further elections, kill each other, and turn the country slowly into hell on Earth.

[jmc1969]

Ping

[windchime]

"......he believes that his country eventually might turn to him to put things back together."

I hope that happens.

[McGavin999]

They need to find some kind of way to get this guy back in the power position. I don't know how, but there has to be a way to get it done within the Iraqi constitution.

[tkathy]

Muslims seem incapable of anything but mindless barbarian butchery.

[DB]

Personally, I think the US should do an ad blitz in Iraq and simply say that they have a choice. Either stand together as Iraqis - Shiite, Sunni and Kurd - and say no more to the killing and build a new country together with our help or we will leave and you can continue killing each other until the country is completely destroyed and your thirst for blood is satisfied. Your choice. You have 1 month to decide.

[SC DOC]

I found this posted on another blog. Doubt the accuracy, but thought I'd pass it along to show what is out there:

Bush Secret Plan for Iraq

It starts with freeing Tariq Aziz, Saddam's Deputy Minister

Here is the plan, paraphrased briefly, as proposed by the source who serves as an authorized back-channel link to the insurgent groups:

Leaders of the organized Sunni resistance groups are seeking immediate meetings with top American generals towards the goal of a cease-fire. Meetings with lower-level US officials already have occurred.

The resistance groups reject the ability of the al-Maliki government to unify its government, and therefore wants an interim government imposed before new elections can be held. The former Baathist-dominated national army, intelligence services and police, whose leaders currently are heading the underground resistance, would be rehired, restored and re-integrated into national structures under this plan.

Multinational Force [MNF-I] activities aimed at controlling militias to be expanded.

The US-controlled Multi-National Force [MNF-I] would be redeployed to control the eastern border with Iran.

A Status of Forces agreement would be negotiated immediately permitting the presence of American troops in Iraq for as long as ten years. Troop reductions and redeployments would be permitted over time.

Amnesty and prisoner releases would be negotiated between the parties, with the Americans guaranteeing the end of torture of those held in the detention centers and prisons of the current, Shiite-controlled Iraqi state.

De-Baathification edicts issued by Paul Bremer would be rescinded, allowing tens of thousands of former Baathists to resume military and professional service.

An American commitment to financing reconstruction would be continued, and the new Iraqi regime would guarantee incentives for private American companies to participate in the rebuilding effort.

[Gideon Reader]

Excepting the civilized Kurds residing mostly in the north if Iraq, the "sand savages" are deeply rooted in the 7th century and simply NOT ready to live in the here and now of THIS century, culturally, religiously, socially and certainly not politically.

Those poor sincere people who proudly displayed their ink stained voting fingers have been the victims of backward children in adult bodies toying with 20th century weapons who do not understand even the most basic concept of democracy or civility. They are tribal and politically (and most likely genetically)inbred; defaulting to the self destructive position at every turn.

My answer? Divide the "nation" with the U.S.Military repositioning to the north into a civilized, friendly and politically progressive Kurdistan, and nation build the crap out of it as a shining example of what might have been achieved with better quality Iraqi protoplasm.

The Azeris of Iran would take note and THAT would be a migraine for downtown Mullaville in Iran.

[bert]

.......in a land of conniving politicians.....

That is having a large Blue Zone.

[newfreep]

...what mixing politics and Islam would do to Iraq.

islam is a political movement, not a religion, who's goal is to control the world using any and all evil means. As such, it cannot co-exist with democracy.

[Hildy]

I've been away for two weeks, without phone, internet, newsapers or TV. I decided to do a little experiment. I bought myself a little transistor radio and only listened to the news for 15 minutes a day on a CBS affiliated Radio station. This is what I learned: Every day hundreds of people are being killed in Iraq in Bush's broken war (their words) and every day Iraq is slipping aninevitable civil war. EVERY DAY this is what I heard. This is the first time I I've been on the internet (check email yesterday) So now I'll find out what's really going on.

But let me tell you, if all I listened to were headlines from msm news outlets, I'd hate Bush too. I'd hate him with a vengeance and I'd certainly hate this war.

[Rutles4Ever]

The cleavages in Iraq run too deep. You've got the Kurds in the north, who are "doing just fine now, thank you", you've got Al-Sadr in the South running Mogadishu 2.0, and the Sunnis in Baghdad are busy getting killed left, right, and center by Al Qaeda, the Shiites, and whoever else wants in. Meanwhile, we've got Iran and Syria continuing to stoke the fire from either direction, and Turkey who will take action against the Kurds if a partition takes place.

From a purely politically scientific standpoint, this is f'd up.