U.S. conceding to Iraqi Islamists, negotiators say

[maddezmom]

24 minutes ago



BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islam will be "the main source" of Iraq's law and parliament will observe religious principles, negotiators said on Saturday after what some called a major turn in talks on the constitution and a shift in the U.S. position.

If agreed by Monday's parliamentary deadline, it would appear to be a major concession to Islamist leaders from the Shi'ite Muslim majority and sit uneasily with U.S. insistence on the primacy of democracy and human rights in the new Iraq.

U.S. diplomats, who have been shepherding the process closely, declined immediate comment and at least one secular Kurdish politician said Kurds would try to block such a deal.

But an official from one of the main Shi'ite Islamist parties and a leading Sunni Arab negotiator said agreement had been reached, reversing an understanding reached earlier in the recent talks that Islam would simply be "a main source" of law.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050820/ts_nm/iraq_constitution_dc_1

[opihimoimoi]

1. Somehow, the Pubs gonna spin that into a "victory" for them

Everything planned is falling apart...not turning out as predicted...

Now this....

Negotiators are weakened by losses/poor showing....Pubs peeps have to compromise/give up during the process....because they weakened by recent events.... they are weak here....sad.

[Roland99]

21. Oh, sure. It's the perfect sign they are sovereign and making their own...

decisions about how to run their country.


They're turning into the world's more perfect democracy right before our very eyes!!

[NNN0LHI]

29. If they can spin this into a "victory" they deserve to be in power

It means that our leaders are all idiots and are not fit for office anyway. Simple as that.

Don

[opihimoimoi]

31. Our Leaders are for us but unable to effect a change...for what reason??

fragmentation

[barb162]

33. I predict Rove will spin it exactly that way and then the

majority of voters will buy it or go along with it. Idiots elected these idiots.

[strizi64]

2. War is over,

and lost......

[rodeodance]

3. the article is confusing.

[maddezmom]

7. here's a better one

US softens position on Islam as Iraq charter deadline looms

Click to enlarge photo

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The United States has dropped its opposition to enshrining Islam as Iraq's main source of legislation in a bid to secure agreement on the text of a new constitution by a Monday deadline.

Washington has been determined to see the target date met after a first deadline was missed last Monday, for fear that any loss of momentum in the political process will play into the hands of Sunni Arab insurgents.

But sources close to the negotiations warned that the surprise shift of policy was as likely to complicate as to help the talks as the Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni negotiators remained deeply divided on the issue.

"Last night's talks had a surprise element -- the Americans appeared to give in to the demand from various Islamic groups that Islam be the main source of legislation," one source told AFP, adding that US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad was present at the negotiations.

"This could change a lot of things and I think we may miss the deadline again as not all groups will agree for Islam to be the main source."
more:http://uk.news.yahoo.com/20082005/323/softens-position-islam-iraq-charter-deadline-looms.html

[struggle4progress]

42. US gives ground on Islam to meet deadline for Iraq

LUKE BAKER AND MICHAEL GEORGY
IN BAGHDAD


US CONCESSIONS to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraqi law marked a turn in talks on a constitution, negotiators said yesterday as they raced to meet tomorrow's deadline to clinch a deal.

Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish negotiators all said there was accord on a bigger role for Islamic law than Iraq had before.

But a secular Kurdish politician said Kurds opposed making Islam the main source of law - a reversal of interim legal arrangements - and subjecting all legislation to a religious test.

"We understand the Americans have sided with the Shi'ites," he said. "It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values. They have spent so much blood and money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state. I can't believe that's what the Americans really want or what the American people want." <snip>

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1818042005

[Historic NY]

4. So all we did was create another Islamic state that hates us........

nice going neo-cons.......Sharia will be the center of the constitution although they are not exactly spinning it that way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia

[MH1]

6. And Iraqi women will be so much better off.

:sarcasm:

[saigon68]

13. "Hey Little Girls, Put on the Burkas", screamed the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

LOL

[barb162]

34. absolutely. I hope they are packing their bags NOW

[Warren Stupidity]

5. "a shift in the U.S. position"

I missed the part where we have a vote in the Iraqi constitution.

[mazzarro]

10. Sovereignty?

Was Iraq not granted full sovereignty? While is the US running the constitution drafting effort? This getting more baffling!

[NNN0LHI]

8. Wonder if this new Islamic state will covet WMDs some day?

Nah. Nothing to worry about.

Don

[magellan]

9. This just makes me too angry to think straight

I sure hope AWOL Bush** is "working hard" on how he's going to explain to our troops that their efforts and sacrifices of the last 2 1/2 years are honored by letting Iraq's constitution embrace fundamentalism!!

I sure hope he's willing to explain to Iraqis and Americans alike exactly how things are better there now than under Saddam!!

Who DIDN'T see this coming?? Oh yeah, the FREEPTARDS!! And they STILL don't get that they've been "supporting the troops" in a lost cause based on Bush**'s lies. And they call us the traitors!?

Three groups and three groups ALONE are benefitting from Bush**'s debacle: Bush** and his oil compadres; Halliburton and all its subsidiaries; and ME terrorists, who doubtless appreciate the recruitment drive BushCo has run so efficiently for them AND the new haven Bush** has supplied them in Iraq.

Everyone else has been royally screwed by BushCo, most of all our troops and the Iraqi people.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[leftchick]

17. bikey W** is busy today getting on with his life

he has a bike ride with Lance. That is all that matters. :puke:

[gasperc]

11. I think all Bush cares about is...

yeah but will you sell us oil really cheap.

[dutchdemocrat]

12. Cheap oil

That's what it's all about.

[Solly Mack]

14. America is spreading theocracy at home and abroad...

[MH1]

15. Yep. I'm not convinced

that the *ies are all that upset about an Islam-based government.

There are a lot of areas of common ground between right-wing Christianity and the Sharia wing of Islam.

And if they really shut down terrorism, their buddies in the Military-Industrial Complex would lose their cash cow.

[Solly Mack]

16. Exactly. It's obvious they want America to be a theocracy, so

it can't bother them about Iraq.

and they'll use the same warped logic to justify both..."if people 'vote' in a theocracy, then it's democracy working"

[KansDem]

23. "And if they really shut down terrorism,..."

...their buddies in the Military-Industrial Complex would lose their cash cow.

I'm beginning to believe more and more that this is what it's all about. Notice how US needs to form its domestic and foreign policies around a boogieman. From 1945 to 1989, we had "communism" to frighten us. And who benefited? The Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned us about. But with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, we no longer had this "boogieman." So what to do? Point to "terrorism" as the new "boogieman." The first WTC attack occurred in 1993, although the planning process began in 1992, with the FBI actually helping in the planning!.

FBI foreknowledge
In the course of the trial it was revealed that the FBI had an informant, an Egyptian man named Emad Salem, who was involved with the bombing conspiracy. Salem claims to have informed the FBI of the plot to bomb the towers as early as February 6, 1992, information he was privy to possibly because he himself initiated the plot. Salem's role as informant allowed the FBI to quickly pinpoint the conspirators out of the hundreds of possible suspects.

Salem asserts that the original plan was to have the plotters build the bomb using a harmless powder instead of actual explosive, but that an FBI supervisor decided that a real bomb should be constructed instead. He substantiates his claims with hundreds of hours of secretly-recorded conversations with his FBI handlers, made during discussions held after the bombings.

Salem says he wished to complain to FBI headquarters in Washington about the failure to prevent the bombing despite foreknowledge, but was dissuaded from doing so by the New York FBI office. The FBI has not explicitly denied Salem's account.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_bombing#FBI_foreknowledge

So we went 4 years in relative peace without a "boogieman." This must have given the Military-Industrial Complex shitfits! They profit when we're frightened!

Also notice the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of "international terrorism" took place during the Bush I administration. Business as usual for the MI complex.

[Pirate Smile]

18. Nominated.

[barbaraann]

19. I'm not surprised. The Bush Administration is funding madrasas, too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4394980

[librechik]

36. These assholes NEED an eternal war--not just for the riches

but to stay out of jail and in office.

turn out the lights. we are so over.

[Charles]

20. Afghanistan ain't no success either...

The Taleban are baaack....

"Nearly four years after a U.S.-led military intervention toppled them from power, the Taliban has re-emerged as a potent threat to stability in Afghanistan..."

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/columnists/jonathan_s_landay/12418046.htm

.


It's a fact, everything George is involved in gets 'messed up'.




///

[barbaraann]

22. Hi, Charles, welcome to DU!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

[Charles]

24. Thanx!

Glad to be here!

I don't post on the internet often - but Bush and his cronies are driving me crazy!

I have to vent from time-to-time!


.

[barbaraann]

25. We're all trying to hold onto our sanity and DU does help.

:-)

[buddysmellgood]

26. So the answer to Cindy's question is, her son died to establish a

Islamic theocracy in Iraq?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

28. Yes, but she gets a great suntan!

and a chance to watch junior and Lance bike around the "Western White House". What else could a mother want?

[goforit]

27. Hell!! Where's Pat Robertson and Jerry Fawell now????

Hell!!!....What about their damn Christian Crusade???

Where the hell are their big FAT mouths now???

[PittLib]

30. They don't give a shit about women's rights here ...

why would they there?

[MADem]

32. Islamic Republic=Democracy (lite)

If you pay no attention to rule of law, women's rights, presumption of innocence, and those other irritating notions that get in the way of a good bullshit story, that is!!!!!

[maddezmom]

37. good point

and I'm not surprised..sadly

[EVDebs]

35. Oh, so creating an "Islamic Republic of Iraq" will be Bush's Legacy

I can hardly wait to tell Melanie Morgan so she can tell the Gold Star Families in Crawford that their sacrifice went to the creation of this new government in Iraq. They'll have some nice words for her !

This will blend nicely with the other two Islamic republics in Saudi Arabia and in Iran.

Did the neocon idiots read GHWB/BrentScowcroft's book on why the coalition didn't go in and occupy Iraq during Gulf War I ? Did the trash the Powell Doctrine and just think 'happy thoughts' ?

[msongs]

38. from dictator sadaam to dictator koran -> the fundies must love it nt

[ozone_man]

43. Regime change: secular government to theocracy

Makes sense to me. :crazy:

[greyl]

39. The SCIRI threw out Bremer's mayor of Baghdad last week

(Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)

Over 150 armed men took over the mayor's office.

For some reason, it didn't get picked up by the MSM.
?

DU thread here

[roguevalley]

40. Amazing isn't it. Most of the people now have LESS rights than they

had with Saddam. Very sad.

[Jackpine Radical]

41. This. Is. A. Monstrous. Disaster.

Any hope of a modern, moderate, educated, secular Iraq is now gone. The Bushoviks will pay for eternity in Hell for this one.

[delen]

44. Sounds good

but why would * give the Iraqi people, what he and his are trying to remove from America?

[Jackpine Radical]

45. Well, they're giving them socialized medicine, low gas prices--

so why not?

[Lori Price CLG]

46. Kurds say US 'pushed' Islamic law

Kurds say US 'pushed' Islamic law

Kurdish politicians negotiating a draft constitution have criticised the US ambassador to Iraq for allegedly pushing them to accept too great a role for Islamic law in the US drive to complete the charter on time.

Although a Sunni delegate made similar charges, US officials declined to comment publicly while they worked with politicians as today's deadline loomed.

<snip>

Holy irony, Batman!!

Lori Price

[madeline_con]

47. A theocracy...

who'da thunk it?

If the population can be kept under control, whatever the means, I'm sure Bushco/Halliburton is all for it.

[Lori Price CLG]

48. Right, as long as Halliburton's occupation continues, Bush will accept it.

[etherealtruth]

49. That's all that matters ...

:argh: :argh: :argh:

[CatholicEdHead]

51. Well, it worked so well in Afganistan and Saudi Arabia?

Those are now very peaceful paradices under theocratic law. :sarcasm:

[madeline_con]

53. Yep.

With those in charge hanging on by the skin of their teeth, jumping at every tiny noise....

[Cha]

50. Yeah, the bushbot gets on tv

and the radio and says "democracy in Iraq"..But it's all bullshit cause that wouldn't help them stay in Iraq with all the OIL.

But, what if it's a "theocracy" that HATES their greedy asses?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

52. You know it will be... just give it time....

[bribri16]

54. This just what I said in another thread. We don't give a damn about

freedom and democracy we just want OUT. Bush will do anything to be able to claim "victory" and "mission accomplished."

[atreides1]

55. Bush doesn't want out, he just wants to say he succeeded.

You're right about freedom and democracy being BS, but Bush has no intention of getting out. The U.S. Army Chief of Staff has stated that the Army will be there for at least the next 4 years.

There was never any intention by this administration to leave Iraq, the use of bases there give the US the foothold they lost when they
left Saudi Arabia.

People here need to stop buying into the myth that the US is planning to leave Iraq at all.

[niallmac]

56. I know the list of obscenities we have committed

in Iraq is long but today I am reminded by this thread of what we have done
to the women of Iraq. Shariah law is not the best thing that ever happened to women.
A great gift from ass-hat. Note also that women are not treated like dirt in all islamic countries. The finer points of cultures, religions and tribal allegiances need to be considered before unleashing a poorly assembled posse on a sovereign country. I guess that's why some U.S. leaders have relied on the State Department for information in this regard.

[Rose Siding]

57. U.S. "concession" on Islam said to turn Iraq talks

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. concessions to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraqi law marked a turn in talks on a constitution, negotiators said on Saturday as they raced to meet a 48-hour deadline under intense U.S. pressure to clinch a deal.

U.S. diplomats, who have insisted the constitution must enshrine ideals of equal rights and democracy, declined comment.

Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish negotiators all said there was accord on a bigger role for Islamic law than Iraq had before.

But a secular Kurdish politician said Kurds opposed making Islam not "a" but "the" main source of law -- a reversal of interim legal arrangements -- and subjecting all legislation to a religious test.

"We understand the Americans have sided with the Shi'ites," he said. "It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values. They have spent so much blood and money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state ... I can't believe that's what the Americans really want or what the American people want."

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-08-20T123900Z_01_MOL045458_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-IRAQ-DC.XML

[rodeodance]

58. oh my god!!!

[rodeodance]

59. where is that much needed 'resolve"?

[Missy M]

60. bush wants a government with religious undertones in this country...

why are Kurds surprised the Americans agreed to an Islamist state.

[rodeodance]

61. maybe they had the impression that we stood up for our ideals!! (NOT)

[Missy M]

63. I believe we did at one time but I'm afraid with bush and his...

administration standing up for our ideals is long gone. Our country has been slipping away from our ideals for quite some time now but bush is putting in the final stake.

[ThoughtCriminal]

62. All of this, to turn Iraq into an Islamic Theocracy?

There goes the last justification.

[Rose Siding]

64. He changed it today, just in time

The radio address was themed: "Troops in Iraq protect US from terror"

Guess he knew this development would blow the whole Freedom On The March thingy out of the water.

[ThoughtCriminal]

72. I thought they had giving up on that too

I guess it will just go in a big circle. Eventually we'll be back to WMDs

[jody]

65. Bush's in a game of political hard-ball and he's losing/lost. n/t

[atreides1]

66. At Least Now

All of those people that support this war and Bush even after losing
a loved one, will know that they died so that another Islamic country could be born.

Hopefully someone points this out to the next Bush loving mom and dad
that attack Cindy Sheehan.

[IndianaGreen]

71. Soon radical Islamic madrassas will sprout all over Iraq

and a new generation of bin Ladens will bring terror to Israel and the West, all courtesy of Bush.

[tabasco]

67. The Bush cabal doesn't care what kind of constitution they have.

As long as they do what Bushgang says, the Iraqi puppets could model their government after the Klingons.

BUSH FINALLY DEFINES SOVEREIGNTY TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE :

Rule #1 - Do what we say.
Rule #2 - Leave the oil pipelines alone.
Rule #3 - Don't mess with any of those contracts Bremer wrote for you.

"OTHER THAN THAT YA' LL ARE COMPLETELY SORVERINIT, err...,SIVERONIMOUS, err...., SOVERINACIOUS, err..., LET FREEDOM REIGN!"

[Inland]

68. Let's see, the US demands a constitution by an arbitrary date

and demands something other than an islamist state, and demands women's rights,

which of these three demands trumps all the others? Which two are negotiable?

Well, let's see, the Bush admin. invented the date, but doesn't feel personally invested in the democracy or rights thing. Date trumps all!

[IndianaGreen]

69. Wearing of the veil just became mandatory for Iraqi women

Thank you GIs for dying and suffering for NOTHING! Now do yourselves a favor and throw your weapons down and, like the Russian armies in 1917, come back home to topple the American Tsar.

[leftchick]

79. that would be something to root for!

:)

[bpilgrim]

70. The Final LIE is put to bed - We SACRIFICED so much for an ISLAMIC STATE!!

more...
http://media.globalfreepress.com

un-fucking-believable :argh:

will the neoCONs now be run out on a RAIL :shrug:

peace

[alcibiades_mystery]

73. The main issue here

If an agreement is not reached by midnight Monday, then the entire Iraqi assembly is immediately dissolved, and the purple fingered election null and void. The Shiites played chicken with the US administration, and the US blinked. This may cause the Kurds to bolt the government, and - as we all know - the Sunni involvement in the government is next to zero. In other words, the US just greenlit Shiite dominance over the other ethnic groups in Iraq (and basically bowede before Moqtada al-Sadr and other radicals), and established the republic of Greater Iran. Quite naturally, this will lead to open and bloody civil war, and may even get the Kurds bearing arms and blowing up Americans - as if being caught in a fight between the Sunni and the Shi'a wasn't bad enough. The US administration - apparently the least deft and most incompetent colonial administration in history - had two choices: 1) Fail to make the deadline, which would have resulted in the extremely embarrassing dissolution of the Assembly, and eventually to civil war OR 2) Bow to the Shi'a demands, which is only slightly less embarrassing, since many people have forgotten the Shi'a uprising of 2004, which killed Caset Sheehan and almost 200 other Americans, and ensure civil war. I believe my older friends used to call this a real pickle, or a real shit sandwich. And, as the man says in Full Metal Jacket, we're all gonna hafta take a bite.....

[agincourt]

74. What else would we expect from Bush and conservatives?

they'd be OK with the Iraqi constitution legalizing the owning of slaves. Wonder how the media pigs will spin this, or will they just ignore it?

[ElectroPrincess]

75. Just like our CIA propped up the bloody murderous thug "The Shah" in Iran

We'll let extremist muslims chop off heads and make women second class citizens. That's all cool if make sure that our corporate USA media does not cover these atrocities. If the leaders have a strangle-hold on their people, they are "GOOD" and "DEMOCRATIC." Why, look at the stellar example of our buds - The Democratic Republic of Pakistan as Bush has termed this country on a number of occasions. Whoa! Guess DEMOCRACY to the Bush Administration simply means that the country in question is absolutely loyal to the bidding of our Executive Branch?

Women and children have NOT faired well under Iraq's invasion and occupation. The women of Iraq had more "equality" before we gave em "Shock and Awe" etc. etc.

Saddam was an evil thug with one very important exceptions, his boys were "bat-shit crazy secular" while we're nurturing a "bat-shit crazy fundamentalist Islam."

We sane and rational thinking people (of all or no religious beliefs) best stop *all* religious nut case inmates(Both Fundy Christian and Muslim) from running the asylum or else we will be in a world of hurt ... that is NO, repeat NO CIVIL RIGHTS in either Iraq nor our beloved USA.

[Along the Red Ledge]

76. Hello, People's Islamic Republic of Iraq!

We've wrecked the economy of Iraq as well as destroyed the only secular government in the Middle East thanks to Bush's lies about WMDs and their 'hail mary' of bringing "democracy" to Iraq.

Yet again, another Bush failure.

Say thanks to Mr. Bush, everyone!

[IndianaGreen]

80. Syria, Lebanon, and Israel remain secular

but among the Arab countries, Iraqi women enjoyed a great deal of autonomy under the Baathists.

Bush is fulfilling bin Laden's goals for the region.

[Along the Red Ledge]

85. Yes, my mistake. However, Israel...

...may be secular on paper but not in practice. Nor is it a democracy. I see your point, however.

[VegasWolf]

77. "Let Freedom Reign!" nt

[greyl]

78. The SCIRI threw out Bremer's mayor of Baghdad last week

(Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)

For some reason, it didn't get picked up by the MSM.
?

edit: DU thread here

[NYC]

86. A friend of mine actually heard

that the mayor "resigned". It was no big deal on the television news.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

81. speed is of the essence. Fitness or workability mean nothing

when this comes back to haunt us, Bush will be long gone.
hopefully in jail.

this is just pathetic, but not surprising.

[klyon]

82. great another failed policy

we told them this would be the outcome
stay the course my ass
declare victory and get out that is the new plan

KL

[VegasWolf]

83. Who the hell is the US to be making concessions in the constitution

of a sovereign, foreign country.

[PurityOfEssence]

84. "Say what you may about Mussolini, but the trains ran on time..."

Hey, I'm a fan of punctuality myself, but this precision idiocy is just nuts. It's more important to make the timetable than to make something that might work or something that isn't absolutely HEINOUS. Twisting arms and helping to make this a theocracy is madness.

Ninny-boy and Deadeye Dick are so obsessed with acting like grown-ups and strutting with radiant manliness that they'll do anything to make it look like they're in control. They truly think that by controlling the press and Congress they can change the course of mighty rivers and literally stop the world from spinning.

It's all about perception to them, and they'll happily create a government that will serve as a fine system to destroy us just so it'll look like they're winning.

Boy, that rapture'd better come soon, because ya just can't keep the lid on all this crap forever. The debt will blow out the economy, the rest of the world will band against us for our bullying, temperatures will continue to rise, pollution will spread health problems, and there will come various points where certain things just can't be hidden anymore.

[William Bloode]

87. I find it oddly hilarious.

The last big justification was we were freeing the Iraqi's So we freed them from Saddam, and gave them the tools to form a less free government. Beautiful, just fuckin' beautiful.

Truth is many of us knew this was going to happen from the very beginning. Nothing like prophecy fulfilling itself.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

88. and watch them claim victory in the process

Yes, my policy succeeded. They are free to be tyrants in their own nation.


hey, wasn't that our entrance cue? to get rid of one tyrant?

[Rose Siding]

89. TVNZ: Major turn in Iraq constitution talks

The United States has dropped its opposition to enshrining Islam as Iraq's main source of legislation in a bid to secure agreement on the text of a new constitution by a Monday deadline, sources close to the negotiations said.

Washington has been determined to see the target date met after a first deadline was missed last Monday, for fear that any loss of momentum in the political process will play into the hands of Sunni Arab insurgents.

But the sources warned that the surprise shift of policy was as likely to complicate as to help the talks as the Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni negotiators remained deeply divided on the issue.

"Last night's talks had a surprise element - the Americans appeared to give in to the demand from various Islamic groups that Islam be the main source of legislation," one source told AFP, adding that US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad was present at the negotiations.

"This could change a lot of things and I think we may miss the deadline again as not all groups will agree for Islam to be the main source."

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/605692

Look what the world is seeing. Somehow, the bushies manage to find pieces of our honor left to shred.

[Julius Civitatus]

90. Saudi Arabia must be very, very pleased at the job Bush has done

Bush has allowed Iraq to turn from being the only secular country in teh region, into another version of Saudi Arabia.

Almost three years of war for this?

"Bandar Bush" and the Saudi royals must be high-fiving each other over this. Not to mention the Iranian fundamentalists.

Shameful.

[niallmac]

91. Not really.

It gets complicated. The bad ass Wahabi sect of Sunni islam is no friend of the now dominant Shia in Iraq. The Royal Family plays to the tune of the Wahabi when it comes to protecting Medina Mecca. Now with a Shia friendly government in Iraq that aligns intself with Iran which resents Saudi ownership of the holy sites. well...
The damage ass-hat has done in his tenure rivals that done by any one person in the history of the planet. It isn't all obvious now. it will be.

[NNN0LHI]

92. I bet Osama bin Laden is even happier n/t

[niallmac]

93. More likely

I can't think of anything we have done since 911 that hasn't pleased him no end.
He must look at the mess we are complicit in making of the world and think;
"Exxxxxxxxcelent!"

[dweller]

94. another source: Scotland Sunday Herald

US Backs Down on Islamic law in Iraq
by Luke Baker and Michael Georgy In Baghdad

THE careful negotiations over the Iraqi constitution appeared last night to be leaning further towards making Islamic
law the main source of law for the country rather than a source after US diplomats apparently gave way to the
concerns of Iraqi officials.

Sunni Arab negotiator Saleh al-Mutlak said a deal was struck which would mean
parliament could pass no legislation that "contradicted Islamic principles".

Yesterday Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish negotiators, meeting with Iraqi president Jalal
Talabani and US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, all said there was accord on a bigger role
for Islamic law than Iraq had before.

One secular Kurdish politician said: "We understand the Americans have sided with the
Shi'ites. It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values. They have spent so much blood and
money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state. I can't believe that's what the
Americans really want or what the American people want."

http://www.sundayherald.com/51378
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0821-04.htm

dp