Religious parties deal blow to US hopes for Iraq (The Guardian)

[Up2Late]

(More bad news for Bush? Awwwww.)

Religious parties deal blow to US hopes for Iraq

· Bush favourite trails as Shias dominate poll
· Kurds may get more seats than larger Sunni blocks

Jonathan Steele in Baghdad
Wednesday December 21, 2005
The Guardian

The Bush administration's hopes for a government of national unity in Iraq, led by its favoured candidate, Ayad Allawi, the secular and pro-western former prime minister, received a setback last night.

Preliminary results showed that most voters opted for Sunni and Shia religious parties in a parliament in which nationalists who want an early timetable for a withdrawal of US and British troops will have a stronger voice.

Mr Allawi's camp, which includes liberals, communists, and his own secular followers, cried foul yesterday as did the main Sunni coalition known as the Consensus Front, which includes the Islamic party. The election commission has at least a week to examine hundreds of complaints of violations on polling day and this is likely to be followed by weeks of haggling over government posts.

But the results suggest that the Shia religious bloc which dominates the current government will retain most, if not all, the 140 seats it holds, giving it a majority in the 275-seat parliament. It needs two-thirds to choose a president - a mainly ceremonial post - along with a prime minister.

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1671765,00.html?gusrc=rss>
(more at link above)

[Cha]

1. Well, that's good..I hope that

keeps up!

[iamjoy]

2. This Is Horrible

Not just for Dubya. We need to stop assuming that what is bad for him is good for anyone. Not that I don't have a little of my own schedenfreude anytime Dubya suffers a political setback.

What over 2,000 of our men & women (plus staggeringly, tragically high numbers of innocent Iraqis) have died for over there is to help form another Iran. Another fundamentalis Muslim government in that part of the world that hates everything Western (not that we haven't given them good reason to hate us, but Iran is banning The Eagles for crying out loud!) and treats its women worse than chattel.

No, I can't rejoice in being right about how this could turn out, of Dubya not getting his way.

[0007]

4. ....and the Eagles are a western band and not a bird, eh?

American freed it women in 1922 and women still lack many right today.

[iamjoy]

5. That's Why I Capitalized The Name

to show it was the band The Eagles, not the bird.

Anyway, this country isn't perfect in the way it treats its women, but there is just no comparison to say, Saudi Arabia. But, maybe that's another discussion. For now, let's just say that our glass may look half full or half empty depending on your viewpoint, but at least we have a glass.

[Up2Late]

7. Thanks, I was having a little trouble figuring out that...

..."Eagles" part too.

The way I see it, the more things that go wrong, the more the pack of lies gets exposed.

Who knows, Iraq could split into 3 separate, theocratic governments and/or countries, and maybe that would be fine.....

...or Not. But if one of those things do happen, * and the Bush Cabal are going to have some serious "Splain-in' to do." This could set back the Neo-cons and the ReThug party 30 years.

[grytpype]

3. Bush should have stuck to his original plan.

Bush should have stuck to his original plan, which was to just hand the country over to Chalabi.

Oh, wait, that plan turned to shit because Sistani demanded elections. Bush NEVER wanted real elections in Iraq, but he is taking credit for them now. Too bad the Mullahs won the elections, which is what everyone predicted. Oh well, Bush is still the Savior of his Country, right?

[libodem]

6. Extremist Religious Conservative Religious Zealots

Washington should be in complete harmony with their own kind. How very pleasant for them. A true meeting of the minds. Destroy and annihilate your opposition in the name of partisanship and keep the women under your thumbs.:popcorn:

[alfredo]

8. Just too fucking sad. Civil war is inevitable.

bush has made a real mess of everything.

[Zhade]

9. And yet, some here feel this is a shining example of democracy.

Go figure.

[Up2Late]

10. kick n/t

:kick: