Doug, the elections haven't solved anything. Why? Because they were a sham. They didn't include the Sunnis. The estimate of turnout is not as high as was reported here in the American press. The elections may have made some Shia Iraqis feel better but they will be sorely disappointed when they find that the occupying troops will stay in their country. The Bush Administration would like to establish military bases in Iraq to escalate the war to Iran.

In short, the Iraqi people are being mislead. At least the Unocal minister, Allawi, was defeated.


As for democracy in Iraq, the Shia community may well side with Iran to oust American troops. This would make the government a theocracy and strengthen Al Qaida.

If you are interested in my sources of information, I would be glad to share them with you.

Frank