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A Guide to the Iraq Elections: Who's Who?

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 03:02:45 PM EST
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Bob Dreyfuss at TomPaine.com has a guide of who's supporting whom in the Iraqi elections. It's easy to follow. Here's a sample:

Iran. If you support Iran, vote for Ayatollah Sistani’s Shiite list, headed by Abdel Aziz Hakim, the commander of the Iran-backed paramilitary Badr Brigade. Chances are that this party will get the most votes and put Iraq on the slippery slope to the theocracy. It will harmonize with Iran, and Iran will probably move closer to the Sistani position. And don’t rule out the possibility of an Israeli-Shiite alliance to follow, in a year or two.

Saudi Arabia. Voters who support Saudi Arabia can vote for Allawi’s centrist party. The CIA-backed prime minister, running on a law-and-order platform, will probably come in second, and might even stay on as prime minister. Allawi is closely tied to the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, although Saudi-Gulf voters can also back Adnan Pachachi, the octogenarian former foreign minister. Allawi means more the same—that is, more violence, more repression, more clashes with the Shiites and the Kurds.

What does America want? Dreyfuss writes,

The Pentagon. DOD intends to stay put in Iraq through 2007, at least, with its full complement of 120,000 soldiers. Don’t expect America to give up its grasp on Iraq anytime soon, despite Bush’s interview in the Times in which he says he’ll acquiesce if the Iraqis ask us to leave, and despite Ted Kennedy’s courageous call for a unilateral withdrawal.

< Voting Begins in Iraq, Violence Continues | Iraqi Election Blog Coverage >

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    A Guide to the Iraq Elections: Who's Who? | 3 comments (3 topical)
    Re: A Guide to the Iraq Elections: Who's Who? (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 03:32:08 PM EST
    And don’t rule out the possibility of an Israeli-Shiite alliance to follow, in a year or two.
    Israel's support, such as it has occasionally been, of Iran, which is much less than it used to be, has most existed to to distract Iraq, a much nearer, powerful enemy. I don't see any reason to expect an Israel-Shi'ite alliance now, if anything, an Iran-Iraq Shi'a alliance would be a greater threat to Israel than any combination of Sunni states, and might well propel Israel to give better terms to the Palestinians and Syria and otherwise try to win better relations with the Sunni-dominated Arab states as a balancing measure.

    Re: A Guide to the Iraq Elections: Who's Who? (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Jan 29, 2005 at 12:11:51 PM EST
    It seems that every option here points to the fact that we're fugged. Thanks BushCo. We're in an untenable position and I'm not sure where we can turn.

    Re: A Guide to the Iraq Elections: Who's Who? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 30, 2005 at 02:19:01 AM EST
    TED KENNEDY WILL DO THE SAME FOR IRAQ AS HE DID FOR MARY JO KOPECHNE TO CALL HIS ASSININE SUGGESTIONS 'COURAGEOUS' IS SILLY. FORTUNATELY NO WILL LISTEN TO HIM. GET HIM A DRINK. HE AND JFKERRY NEED SHOULD STICK WITH JUST TANKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY , SADLY.

    A Guide to the Iraq Elections: Who's Who? | 3 comments (3 topical)