iccky

I think a statement like "the Shiite want nothing more then a religious state" is the ultimate oversiplification. In fact I don't think the Shiite want a religious state along the lines of Iran. Those following Al Sadr are a minority of the Shiite population, but because they are armed and he is the son of a popular matyr it is hard to challenge him. I was listening to a reporter today say that most of the iraqis she talked to were happy to welcome her into their homes and were generally negative about Al-Sadr until one of his thugs came around.

This is actially exactly the same thing several of the founding fathers said about France at the time of the French revolution. And, of course, they were right, it took several decades of dictatorship, renewed monarchy, and finally another revolt before Democracy became firmly entrenched. But it happened. And I doubt anyone would claim France who have been better off without all that tumult.

Really though, I think its far to early to damn imposing democracy from the outside. Its never really been tried before (someone cited latin American countries above but for the most part those became Democracies on their own... And with the possible exception of Venezuela are democracies today, though with some bumps in between).