Democracy's Power Fades as Iraq Panacea -LAT

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. officials have begun to question a key presumption of American strategy in Iraq: that establishing democracy there can erode and ultimately eradicate the insurgency gripping the country.

The expectation that political progress would bring stability has been fundamental to the Bush administration's approach to rebuilding Iraq as well as a central theme of White House rhetoric to convince the American public that its policy in Iraq remains on course.

But within the last two months, U.S. analysts with access to classified intelligence data have started to challenge this precept, noting a "significant and disturbing disconnect" between apparent advances on the political front and any progress in reducing insurgent attacks.

Now, with next Saturday's constitutional referendum appearing more likely to divide than unify the country, some within the Bush administration have concluded that the quest for democracy in Iraq, at least in its current form, could actually strengthen the guerrillas.

http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-disconnect9oct09,0,2475208.story?coll=la-home-headlines


An Iraqi man picks up copies the the new constitution draft from boxes on the edge of a Baghdad, Iraq, garbage dump, Thursday Oct. 6 2005. Iraqis will vote on Oct. 15, on the country's constitution after the country's Shiite-led parliament ended a bitter dispute with Sunni Arabs about how the referendum will be conducted. (AP Photo/Asaad Muhsin)

[Atman]

1. There wasn't much meat to that article.

The LAT used to do much better reporting than this!

LOL!

[Rose Siding]

2. Why, whatever could you mean? ;)

[Atman]

3. Karen Hughes was baffled

"I mean, I can't understand why every woman in the Middle East wouldn't want to be white and Christian just like me. It just doesn't make any sense!"

At which point, President Bush nominated her to the Supreme Court.

[bemildred]

4. Democracy only works when it's real and inclusive.

Fake democracy produces fake results.