Sensing Shiites Will Rule Iraq, U.S. Starts to See Friends, Not Foes

[54anickel]

What a difference a day makes....

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/20/international/middleeast/20GOVE.html?ex=1069909200&en=f43f660db89ffdb1&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 — The Bush administration, which was wary earlier this year of installing a government dominated by Shiites in Iraq, has concluded that such a development is virtually inevitable and not necessarily harmful to American interests, administration officials said Wednesday.

The officials said that fears of an Iranian-style — and Iranian-influenced — theocracy in Baghdad have faded because it has become clear that Iraq's Shiite population is not a monolithic bloc and not necessarily dominated by Tehran.

"Our basic position is that as we get to know more of Iraqi society, we're more comfortable with a democratic process, and if that emerges with a predominant Shiite role, so be it," said an administration official. "There's been a steady education process here."

[Dagaz]

1. Holy Shiite

I thing an Islamic government is inevitable given that the country is wht 95% Islamic? The US started out as a Christian gov't as shown by the Holidays that we've chosen to observe.