Subject: Info on new Iraqi leaders Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 13:32:47 -0600 Message-ID: <B14120EE5C432443B21102F7925DAD0201420708@COKE.uwec.edu> From: "Grossman, Zoltan C." <GROSSMZC@uwec.edu>
From the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
http://www.epic-usa.org
The winds of change sweeping through Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and other
nations have prompted leading critics of the Bush administration to
ponder the unthinkable: Was President Bush justified in toppling Saddam
Hussein? (see Fareed Zakaria?s article ?What Bush Got Right,? Newsweek,
March 14, 2005) However, if the U.S. mission in Iraq and the world is
the promotion of democracy, U.S. policy alone can not create and sustain
lasting democratic change in the Middle East. From the streets of Beirut
to Iraqi civil society, people and the institutions that they build are
the primary agents of change.
?The conversation about change in the Arab world must be about?ordinary
Arabs, not about scoring points for or against the Bush administration,"
says Mona Eltahawy, a respected columnist who serves on the board of
directors for the Progressive Muslim Union of North America. She goes on
to write: "Brave Arab men and women have for decades toiled, often
without credit, for the sake of rights and better lives for their
compatriots. Their work must be acknowledged and supported.?
Iraq?s newly elected Transitional National Assembly is set to convene
Wednesday, March 16, and will decide who will occupy senior posts in the
new government. This dispatch looks at the outcome of Iraq?s first
elections in 50 years, who the Assembly represents, the role of Islam
and other issues the transitional legislature will likely address, and
the latest news and analysis regarding post-election Iraq.
Our four-point Peace Plan for Iraq emphasizes the important role Iraqis
play in building a new Iraq. I encourage you to download EPIC?s new
flyer, which includes our peace plan, and pass it on to your friends.
Implementation of our peace plan would reduce violence and promote
lasting democratic change in Iraq. It would also move our country closer
to seeing the safe return of U.S. service members.
EPIC?s educational programs ? the Iraq Speakers Bureau and our FACES of
IRAQ traveling photo exhibit ? are building support for our mission of
peace in Iraq here at home. Visit our Calendar to see if there are any
events coming to your area. And to help make EPIC strong, consider
making a donation today.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Erik K. Gustafson
Executive Director
Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
From People Power to Nation Building
EPIC Dispatch No. 204
March 16, 2005
CONTENTS:
I. Ibrahim Jaafari and the New Iraq
II. Who is Represented in the Newly Elected Assembly?
III. Iraq's Elections and International Women's Day
IV. Political Trends in the Islamic Republic of Iraq
V. Improved Security during Ashura and Elections fails to hold
VI. U.S. Operatives talk with Insurgents
VII. International Involvement in Iraq
VIII. Rageh Omaar and the Battle to Meet Iraqi Expectations
IX.Supplemental Request
X. Happiness is Iraq in my Rearview Mirror
XI. Readers Write
I. IBRAHIM JAAFARI and the NEW IRAQ
Iraq's newly elected Transitional National Assembly (TNA) is scheduled
to convene on March 16, 2005. At that time, the TNA will vote for a
President and two Vice-Presidents, who in turn must unanimously select a
Prime Minister to run the new government.
Jalal Talabani, a secular Sunni Kurd and leader of the Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan, is expected to be Iraq's next president. Ibrahim
al-Jaafari, a moderate Islamist and leader of the religious Dawa Party,
is widely expected to be confirmed as the country's next prime minister,
replacing U.S.-backed Iyad Allawi.
Al-Jaafari was born in Karbala in 1947 and educated at Mosul University
as a medical doctor. He joined al Dawa - Iraq's oldest Islamic party -
in 1968 and began actively working for the party in 1974. In 1980, he
fled to Iran after a violent crackdown on the party by Saddam Hussein.
He stayed there for 10 years before moving to London, where he lived
until the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. He has served as interim vice
president in Iraq since June.
Last April, EPIC's Board President Zaid Albanna and director Erik
Gustafson saw Ibrahim al-Jafaari speak at a "Future of Iraq" gathering
of Iraqi Americans. The following is our translation of his speech,
offering insights into the man who will likely become Iraq's next Prime
Minister.
Speech by Ibrahim Jaafari
Exclusive EPIC Content
Future of Iraq Conference
Held on April 25, 2004
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=559
More about Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Jalal Talabani...
Jaafari is Shiite Candidate for Iraqi Prime Minister
By John Daniszewski
Los Angeles Times
February 22, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=621
Radio Free Iraq Interview with Jalal Talabani
and additional news coverage of Iraqi leaders and parties
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
February 24, 2005
http://www.rferl.org/specials/iraqelections
II. WHO IS REPRESENTED in the NEWLY ELECTED ASSEMBLY?
More than 8 million Iraqis (58% of Iraq's 14.2 million registered
voters) went to the polls to elect provincial councils and a
Transitional National Assembly on January 30th. Election results were
certified by Iraq's electoral commission (IECI) on Thursday, February
17. The Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance won 48% of the vote, or 140 of
the 275 National Assembly seats, giving them a slight majority in the
new parliament. The Kurdish Alliance won 26% of the vote (75 seats),
while interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi received 14% (40 seats).
While voter turn out was high in Iraq's northeastern and southern
provinces, only 2% of registered voters went to the polls in Al-Anbar
province. In Ninevah, only 17% turned out. The provinces of Salah
ad-Din and Diyala respectively saw 29% and 34%. According to 1999
census data, these provinces account for 18.8% of Iraq's population
These four provinces, as well as parts of Baghdad (which saw 48% turn
out), will not be adequately represented by Iraq's new government and
National Assembly. By comparison, imagine a Congress where Texas,
Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and South Carolina are represented by
only 19 out of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives,
despite representing 23% of the U.S. population.
There have been some promising signs, however. Since the elections,
some of Iraq's leaders have offered to allow political parties that
boycotted the elections a role in drafting a new constitution. In
addition, about 70 Sunni tribal leaders met in Baghdad on February 21st,
in part to attempt to shape a new role for themselves in the governing
process (see story link below). The following is EPIC's Report of
Iraq's Election Results (last updated on February 24) and news stories
about efforts to increase inclusion in the new government.
Province by Province Election Results &
Allotment of National Assembly Seats
Exclusive EPIC Content
Figures based on data from
The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI)
Updated as of February 24, 2005
http://www.epic-usa.org/Portals/1/electionresults.pdf
A "FREE" Iraq?
By Robert Dreyfuss
TomPaine.com
February 23, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=637
Sunnis Seek Voice in New Government
Tribal leaders met to devise a strategy to participate, despite lack of
voter turnout
Associated Press
The London Free Press
February 21, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=629
Man Who May Lead Iraq Eyes Ex-Baathists
Jafari Says He Would 'Purify' Government of Many From Former Ruling
Party
By Doug Struck
The Washington Post
February 18, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=584
Iraq's new assembly will be operating on a tight timetable. It must put
together Iraq's first-ever democratically drafted constitution by August
15, less than six months away. The constitution must then be approved by
a majority of Iraqis in a referendum by October 15. If rejected, a new
assembly must be elected to try again.
If approved, December elections will be held under the terms of the new
constitution. Last month, Brookings hosted a panel discussion to
consider this harrowing schedule for Iraq's transition to democratic
self-rule.
Iraq After the Elections
Transcript of Panel Discussion with
Bathsheba Crocker, Michael O'Hanlon,
Noah Feldman, Peter Khalil and Kenneth M. Pollack
Brookings Institution
February 10, 2005
http://www.brookings.edu/comm/events/20050210.htm
III. IRAQ's ELECTIONS and INTERNATIONAL WOMEN's DAY
Women for Women International's Country Director for Iraq, Manal Omar,
recently reflected on Iraq's elections and the role of women in the new
government. Since July 2003, her Baghdad office has provided direct
assistance, vocational skills training, and leadership education to more
than 600 Iraqi women, empowering them to actively participate in Iraq's
reconstruction and political process. Women for Women International also
helped monitor out-of-country voting for Iraqis in Jordan. In part,
thanks to their work, women will hold at least 85 seats in the newly
elected 275-seat National Assembly.
Manal writes: "[An] older man who has been cooperating with our
organization?reminded me that democracy?is something that emerges with
practice and experience, and for the first time in his memory, Iraqis
are finally able to take the first step in building their own
experience. The process has set the tone of 2005, and as one Iraqi
friend told me, 'It has returned to me a sense of pride and
nationalism.' At this point and time, it's not about army of occupation
verses liberation, or where the weapons of mass destruction are.
Although we should not ignore mistakes of the past, if we continue to
focus on the events of two years ago, we will miss the very important
present; a present that will determine the situation for women for
decades to come."
Read the full letter from Manal Omar
Country Director for Women for Women International in Iraq
Received by EPIC on March 8, 2005
http://www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=696
Amnesty International's Report on Women in Iraq
Released February 22, 2005
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde140012005
IV. POLITICAL TRENDS in the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC of IRAQ
With Ibrahim Jaafari and a Shia-led assembly set to lead Iraq, some
conservative and progressive commentators are claiming that U.S. policy
may have brought Iranian-style theocracy to Baghdad. Los Angeles Times
Columnist Robert Scheer questions "why the United States has spent
incalculable fortunes in human life, taxpayer money and international
goodwill to break Iraq and then remake it in the image of our avowed
'axis of evil' enemy next door (LA Times 2/8/05)." Writing for Enter
Stage Right, David Pyne, Esq. of the Center for the National Security
Interest argues: "The United States must not allow Iraq to fall under
the control of Iranian-proxy terrorist leaders and should take military
action including the execution of a military coup in concert with
Allawi's forces if necessary to prevent this from happening."
Having only a surface-level understanding of Iraq, Scheer and Pyne
misinterpret the debates and trends that are shaping Iraqi politics.
Iraq ain't Kansas nor is it a country in Southeast Asia. So who is
getting it right? EPIC surveys seven of the best articles, analysis and
interviews of the past month.
For a more informed assessment of Ibrahim Jaafari and Iraq's newly
elected Shia-majority from both progressive and conservative sources,
EPIC recommends the following:
Juan Cole on Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Iraq's Elections
Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
Broadcast on Pacifica Radio
February 23, 2005
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/23/164211
Allah and Democracy Can Get Along Fine
By Dilip Hiro
The New York Times
March 1, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=658
Shiites and Stereotypes
Iraq Policy's Critics Could Use Some Discernment
By Robert Kagan
The Washington Post
February 18, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=592
For a fascinating look at how Islamism vs. secularism defines Iraqi
politics in the South and a profile of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, EPIC
highly recommends the following readings:
Letter From Basra
In the Shiite south, Islamists and secularists struggle over Iraq?s
future
By George Packer
The New Yorker
Issue of February 28, 2005
www.epic usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid="630
V. IMPROVED SECURITY during ASHURA and ELECTIONS FAILS to HOLD
An estimated 74 people in Baghdad were killed within two days of deadly
attacks on Shiite Muslims during Ashura, the religious holiday marking
the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Similar
attacks last year in Baghdad and Karbala resulted in more than 170
deaths. This year's reduction of casualties and the absence of attacks
in Karbala have been credited to an increase and improvement in
security; but such gains may be limited to scheduled events such as
holidays or elections.
Over the past two weeks, lethal attacks have claimed hundreds of lives -
mostly civilian - indicating a possible return to late-2004 levels of
violence. In one of the deadliest attacks since the U.S. invasion of
Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle near a crowd of people
seeking jobs in the predominantly Shiite Muslim city of Hilla, killing
125 people and wounding 130. Abu Musab Zarqawi and his group, Al Qaeda
in Iraq, is held to be responsible for the bombing. A day after the
attack, thousands of residents in Hilla gathered in protest against
terrorism.
Last week, mass graves were discovered in Qaim, Latifiyah, and Mosul,
containing a total of 71 bodies, many beheaded, handcuffed, and shot
(Washington Post 3/11/05). Victims included women, children, and men
who may have been members of the Iraqi army. Thursday, 47 people were
killed and over 100 were injured after a suicide bomber detonated
himself at a Shiite mosque in Mosul during a funeral service. Several
prominent Iraqis have also been killed in past weeks, including a judge
and lawyer on the tribunal responsible for trying Saddam Hussein, an
Interior Ministry official, a hospital director, two district police
chiefs in Baghdad, and other members of the Iraqi security forces.
Iraqis are impatiently awaiting the new assembly to convene and move
swiftly to form a government that can better protect Iraq's civilian
population - particularly the Shia community that appears to have become
the primary target of recent attacks since their January 30th election
gains.
Bombers Again Strike Iraqi Shiite Worshipers
Attacks Kill 30 and Injure 40 On Last Day of Annual Rite
By Jackie Spinner and Bassam Sebti
The Washington Post
February 20, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=605
There are currently an average of 60 attacks per day compared to an
average of 25 last year (Washington Post 2/17/05). However, according
to the latest numbers provided by Brookings' "Iraq Index,? insurgent
attacks and civilian casualties have risen in the last two weeks.
Iraq Index
Key Indicators for Assessing Progress in Reconstruction and Security
By Saban Center for Middle East Policy
The Brookings Institution
Last updated March 8, 2005
http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq
VI. U.S. OPERATIVES TALK with INSURGENTS
According to a report in Time Magazine, U.S. operatives and some known
leaders of the insurgency have been meeting in secret, in an attempt to
possibly work out a compromise and forge cooperation with the political
process and/or the new government. Reuters reports: "When asked about
the contacts, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Foreign
Relations and Intelligence Committees, said it is important to 'reach
out' in Iraq. "We've got a very complicated and dangerous situation over
there, and you are going to have to reach out, you are going to have to
develop some relationships and networks," he said on CNN's Late
Edition."
Talking with the Enemy
Inside The Secret Dialogue Between The U.S. And Insurgents In Iraq--And
What The Rebels Say They Want
By Michael Ware
TIME Magazine
February 20, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=596
Are terrorists responsible for all of the violence against U.S. and
coalition forces? Yes and no, according to the following portrait of an
insurgent.
Father Seeks Vindication But Finds Death in Fallujah
Bereaved Insurgent 'Was Ready for Martyrdom'
By Anthony Shadid
The Washington Post
February 15, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=561
VII. INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT in IRAQ
According to a NATO communique, all 26 allies have agreed to support in
some form the training of Iraqi security forces "to hasten the day when
they can take full responsibility for the stability of the country and
the security of its citizens." Some nations are offering to send
trainers to serve inside Iraq. Other nations, which include France,
Germany and Belgium, are offering financial assistance or external
training at facilities in Jordan and Europe. The Washington Post reports
the training mission is popular among European nations because
"countries can sign on without appearing to support the U.S.-led war."
Here are some additional articles, opinion, and reports on the effort to
assist Iraq in creating viable Iraqi Security Forces:
NATO Agrees on Modest Plan for Training Iraqi Forces
By Elaine Sciolino
The New York Times
February 23, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=628
'Our Guys Stayed and Fought'
By David Ignatius
The Washington Post
February 25, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=639
Strengthening Iraqi Military and Security Forces
By Anthony H. Cordesman
With the Assistance of Patrick Baetjer and Stephen Lanier
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Update as of February 17, 2005
http://www.epic-usa.org/Portals/1/iraq_strengtheningforces.pdf
The nomination of neoconservative John Bolton to the post of U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations calls into question the UN's future
involvement in Iraq reconstruction. One of three international goals
pledged by President Bush for his second term is to "defend our security
and spread freedom by building effective multinational and multilateral
institutions and supporting effective multilateral action" (Washington
Post, 3/8/05). Both Republicans and Democrats are raising questions as
to whether Bolton is the right candidate for such an effort. Though
initially pegged as a "neoconservative" by media commentators, the
description was incorrectly applied to a man who "may be the last
important foe of nation-building inside the administration [who] would
like to get out of Iraq quickly" (Washington Post, 03/14/05)
Tough Love or Tough Luck
What will nomination of John Bolton mean for UN involvement in Iraq
reconstruction?
By Susan E. Rice
The Washington Post
March 8, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=695
VIII. RAGEH OMAAR and the BATTLE to MEET IRAQI EXPECTATIONS
On January 31, 2005, Robert Olny of KCRW-Santa Monica interviewed EPIC
advisor Laith Kubba, New Yorker correspondent Jon Lee Anderson, and BBC
reporter and writer Rageh Omaar on To The Point. Among the most
interesting questions, Mr. Olny asked, "As long as the American and
British forces are there [in Iraq], will the insurgents be there as
well?" Click the link below for a transcript of Rageh Omaar's answer and
audio of the complete program:
With Iraq Election Over, Vote Counting Is Under Way
AUDIO: Interview with Rageh Omaar,
Laith Kubba and Jon Lee Anderson
To The Point with Robert Olny
KCRW-Santa Monica
January 31, 2005
http://www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=710
IX. SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST
On Monday, March 14, the House Appropriations Committee completed its
mark up of the President's $82 billion emergency spending request for
Iraq, Afghanistan and tsunami relief. The House cut $764 million from
the bill and added some provisions, but largely left the President's
request in tact. The bill is expected to reach the floor of the House
by Wednesday. The Senate is scheduled to take up the $82 billion
supplemental following its March 21 - April 1 recess, and one can expect
a number of amendments primarily focused on improving Congressional
oversight.
The new supplemental reflects some lessons learned and subsequent policy
improvements, including:
- A ten fold increase in spending on the training of Iraq's security
forces
- Providing troops the equipment and support they need (such as body
armor, up-armored Humvees, electronic jammers, etc.)
But the bill remains short on accountability, providing for example $7
billion of discretionary funds to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, despite
his department's failure to properly account for $8.8 billion of Iraqi
oil revenue that had been disbursed to Iraqi government ministries
without adequate managerial controls or follow up.
Read the latest on the supplemental:
Emergency War Funding Wins Backing
By Mike Allen
The Washington Post
March 4, 2005
www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=678
X. HAPPINESS IS IRAQ IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR
"If you know any politicians be sure to let them know that while they're
sitting around their dinner tables with their families talking about how
hard the war is on them, we're here under attack nearly 24 hours a day,
dodging RPGs and fighting not just for a better Iraq, but just to stay
alive" - Stuart Wilf, U.S. Army's 2/3 Field Artillery, April 10, 2004
That is how "Gunner Palace" - a must-see documentary by Michael Tucker
and Petra Epperlein - ends. Filmed in late 2003 and early 2004, it
captures daily life for U.S. soldiers serving with 1st Armored Division
2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment in Iraq.
With a smaller percentage of Americans serving in the military than ever
before - as well as declining numbers of U.S. aid workers, contractors,
journalists and other personnel - there are fewer connections between
the American public and the day to day realities of Iraq. Gunner Palace
and the recent installments of Frontline's ?The Soldier's Heart" and "A
Company of Soldiers" are helping to better inform Americans about the
experiences of soldiers serving in Iraq, and the things they carry home.
XI. READERS WRITE
The following are excerpts from letters and emails we received regarding
EPIC Dispatch No. 203 on Iraq's Elections and our new Peace Plan for
Iraq (which is now included in our new flyer).
"Just a couple of points about your most recent email message I received
today. (It's great to sense a consensus of members so close to my own
thoughts and feelings regarding Iraq.) Goal Number 4 speaks for
"Increased political inclusion and reconciliation." As someone who
learned a bit about Islamic sectarianism and Kurdish isolation while
teaching two years in Turkey, I'd like to be sure this Goal Number 4
extends beyond U.S.-Iraqi 'reconciliation' to recognition on the part of
our forces and diplomats there that we have a responsibility to align
ourselves behind no faction(s), but to encourage all Iraqis to move
beyond marginalizing one another, toward inclusiveness. Iraq is a
plastic 'nation' established barely 85 years ago when an offhand British
protectorate replaced Ottoman dominance-- hence Iraqi susceptibility to
Hussein-style dictatorship. If (as seems likely) our government did not
realize, when it struck preemptively, what a job of nation-building it
has undertaken there, it must accept that now.
And under Goals Number 2 and Number 3, are we to understand some
initiatives comparable to American financing of an Iraqi
water-purification industry, or better electrification of rural areas by
Iraqi agencies, for example? We don't need to subsidize Halliburton et
al, any more, but I for one would favor direct training and financial
U.S. support for Iraqi self-improvement of infrastructure.
Armed military conquest, though costly, was the straightforward part we
have to play there. Keeping track of surrendered weapons and
surrendering manpower was a trickier strategic responsibility dodged,
and curbing the looting of hospitals, museums, and private enterprises
may have been the first practical military opportunity to earn friends
there which we goofed up. But to borrow the word of a fine military
leader, we can still 'fix' it."
- Richard Quaintance, Metuchen NJ
EPIC responds: We appreciate your insights and support for the plan EPIC
and Veterans for Common Sense have developed to support meaningful
nation-building as the best means for ending the war in Iraq. In coming
weeks, EPIC and Veterans for Common Sense plan to launch a new
initiative calling Winning the Peace, to further reframe the debate over
the U.S. mission in Iraq as one of nation-building, not endless war.
* * * *
"The elections proved little except that the Shia and the Kurds want to
ensure that they would be foremost of the next ?government,? one under
the boot of the US military. We may see Allawi still as leader of the
so-called government. That you can believe that these were legitimate
elections, with no outside observers, with American money flooding the
country for influence, and with no one knowing exactly who they were
voting for, is beyond me.
- Morton K. Brussel, Urbana, IL
EPIC responds: The January 30, 2005 election expressed the popular will
of 8.5 million Iraqis (almost 60% of Iraq's 14.2 million registered
voters), representing a historic step towards democratic change and away
from U.S. control. There is no evidence that the U.S. manipulated the
elections results, particularly given the outcome (the Bush
administration wanted Allawi to win a majority, but his slate won only
14% of the vote).
However, EPIC does not believe the elections were without problems. The
conflict between Iraqi insurgents and U.S. forces in Anbar, Niniwa,
Salahuddin and Diyala contributed to security and political conditions
that kept a majority of registered voters in those provinces away from
the polls. As a result, these provinces are significantly
under-represented in the new Transitional National Assembly
(particularly Anbar that had a voter turn out of 2%). Working to remedy
that must be the first order of business for the new government.
Nevertheless, Iraq's new government is far more legitimate than the
Iraqi Governing Council appointed by Paul Bremer, not to mention Saddam
Hussein's regime, and that's progress.
For an archive of articles and commentary about the elections and the
need to increase political inclusion, visit our INDEX of ARTICLES for
JAN 30 - FEB 6 and FEB 7 - MAR 11, 2005.
* * * *
"The notion that there are commentators that 'seem intent on seeing only
failure in Iraq,' is largely nonsense. What have the elections in Iraq
got to do with "Bush's war" there? Many critics are understandably
concerned that the administration is attempting to create the illusion
that attempts to hold 'democratic' elections in Iraq somehow provides
justification for the brutality, greed, and insanity that motivated the
Bush administration in invading Iraq in the first place."
-John Polifronio, Los Angeles, CA
EPIC responds: We wish it were nonsense, but unfortunately partisans on
both sides of the aisle have used events in Iraq for political advantage
- either to justify or to question the policies of the President.
Consider James Carville's response to the elections: "We done trade a
half-a-trillion dollars for a pro-Iran government!" Or Charles
Krauthammer's op-ed in the latest issue of Time magazine "3 Cheers for
the Bush Doctrine." http://www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=711
Regarding this latter piece, we agree with you, John. Iraq's elections
are not a vindication of the Bush doctrine and largely occurred to help
remedy the administration's failures in post-invasion Iraq. If anyone
disserves a Nobel Prize for Peace, it?s the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, not
President Bush.
* * * *
Tell us what you think: Send your letters by post or email to
info@epic-usa.org or EPIC, 1101 Penn. Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003.
Unless otherwise specified, EPIC will consider all letters and emails it
receives for possible publication. Please include your full name,
address and telephone number for confirmation. Because of space
limitations, those published are subject to abridgment. Although we are
unable to acknowledge every email, we value the input of thoughtful
readers.
www.epic-usa.org
Education for Peace in Iraq Center
1101 Pennsylvania Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20003
202-543-6176
info@epic-usa.org