Surprise, Surprise...

[phrogpilot73]

The Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds didn't agree on the constitutional draft. The Shiites and Kurds put a draft before the legislature, and then pulled it minutes before the deadline. And they say we're going to be pulling out early next year...

 

[TheBubba]

Heh... that comes as no suprise...

Given the deep set religious and cultural divides between the three groups, its doubtful they ever will.

This is probably also one of the reasons why US Style democracy will not work in the middle east... Also b/c in most Islamic states, there is no separation of church and state.. the church is the state.

But we'll all see how this plays out... It'll be interseting to say the least...

Isn't it amazing how events out of our hands play so much in the course of our careers? One can only guess how the forming of the Iraqi constitution will play out on us...

 

[squorch2]

Unfortunately, this sets us back at square one, as the framework that the constitutional assembly is working within calls for them to disband and hold new elections if a constitution isn't ratified by the deadline. Which has already passed. Of course, I guess we're making up the rules as we go along, so no one would REALLY care that much if the assembly stayed in power without a constitution.

 

[phrogpilot73]

We were discussing it last night over dinner (and many beers), and I pointed out that if they do get this constitution passed, they'll be doing better than us. I seem to remember the Articles of Confederation, then the Constitution, then the Bill of Rights, then a Civil War, etc... They're doing it in a much more compressed timeline. Plus, the idea of a "country" is not as important to them as family, tribe, etc...

 

[DanMa1156]

We were discussing it last night over dinner (and many beers), and I pointed out that if they do get this constitution passed, they'll be doing better than us. I seem to remember the Articles of Confederation, then the Constitution, then the Bill of Rights, then a Civil War, etc... They're doing it in a much more compressed timeline. Plus, the idea of a "country" is not as important to them as family, tribe, etc...

You bring up very valid points. Any thoughts on what Iraq will end up as? Any timeframe?

 

[metro]

We were discussing it last night over dinner (and many beers), and I pointed out that if they do get this constitution passed, they'll be doing better than us. I seem to remember the Articles of Confederation, then the Constitution, then the Bill of Rights, then a Civil War, etc... They're doing it in a much more compressed timeline. Plus, the idea of a "country" is not as important to them as family, tribe, etc...

This is true enough, though we must remember that, with the Civil War being the sole exception, we weren't physically fighting against each other while all of it was being negotiated.

 

[usmcecho4]

You bring up very valid points. Any thoughts on what Iraq will end up as? Any timeframe?

Constitution will be rejected by Sunnis, Kurds will continue to chill up north, Shia and Sunnis will get busy killing each other in south and central Iraq to see who's right (Shia will win this). Of course the killing each other time happens after we have declared victory and left (sometime before or immediately after 2006 congressional elections). Then Shia will start sorting each other out to see who in fact is the MAN. End state a lot more dead Iraqis (read: ethnic cleansing/tribal warfare) but they will have sorted out who is really in charge and things. Iraq will be stable-ish but decidedly undemocratic.

Semper Fi,
usmcecho4

 

[CommodoreMid]

This is true enough, though we must remember that, with the Civil War being the sole exception, we weren't physically fighting against each other while all of it was being negotiated.

Well there was the Whiskey Rebellion...