U.S. Officials Say a Theocratic Iraq Is Unlikely

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Officials Say a Theocratic Iraq Is Unlikely
By ERIC SCHMITT

Published: February 7, 2005


ASHINGTON, Feb. 6 - The Bush administration sought Sunday to allay concerns that a Shiite religious state could emerge in Iraq as a result of last weekend's elections.

Speaking on television news programs on Sunday, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said that Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, opposed direct cleric involvement in daily governing, and that most Iraqis rejected an Iranian-style theocracy.

"We have a great deal of confidence in where they're headed," Mr. Cheney said on "Fox News Sunday." "I don't think, at this stage, that there's anything like justification for hand-wringing or concern on the part of Americans that somehow they're going to produce a result we won't like."
(snip)

In his interview, Mr. Cheney also elaborated, for the first time, on the meaning of President Bush's challenge to the Iranian people to rise up against their ruling clerics. In the State of the Union address, Mr. Bush said, "As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you."
(snip/...)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/07/politics/07diplo.html?oref=login
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[kohodog]

1. Do they mention a Theocratic U.S?

I think we'll beat the Iraqi's to it, they way things are going.

[Kimber Scott]

2. "...somehow they're going to produce a result we won't like."

Of course, not. Who do they think is running things, anyway? Iraqis would be silly to think they have any sort of autonomy in their electoral process. We don't like it, they don't get it. Simple as that.

[trotsky]

26. Precisely. n/t

[VegasWolf]

3. U.S. Officials predicted the war in Iraq would be over quickly. n/t

[yellowcanine]

32. Yep - and "handwringing" may be justified if the house burns down because

of what you did to kill the cockroaches. Know what I am saying? It is hard to celebrate getting rid of the cockroaches when I am looking at the ashes of my house.

[calimary]

4. Yeah, like we should believe this steaming pile, too.

Like all the nice-sounding things they've promised up til now worked out just like they predicted.

How do you like your snake-oil, America? You've certainly been drinking enough of it, lately.

[complain jane]

5. and if not, Sistani's gonna get that moldy-cheese-face disease

that the poor Ukrainian guy got as a result of poisoned soup.

[Gyre]

6. Enter the CIA predicted civil war.

That place is going to blow up big time. If America thinks it's going to block the government "of the people", because it doesn't like which side won, which was duly elected via our approved election process, after blowing all that sunshine up Iraq's ass about democracy, those effin neocon baboons are going to be seeing stars.

Gyre

[Azathoth]

7. CHENEY is assuring us there will be no theocratic government??

Like he assured us of Saddam's reconstituted nuclear weapons? You gotta be kidding. OJ Simpson has more credibility than Cheney and Rummy. How any respectable news agency can report what these guys say as news is beyond me.

[smoogatz]

30. Bingo

All news stories about predictions made by these idiots should, in the 2nd paragraph, say: "but Cheney also said there was 'no doubt' that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program, and that US troops would be 'greeted as liberators.'" The fucking press has got to develop a memory, and start providing meaningful context for what Bushco is doing--from preparing the nation for war with Iran to the Social Insecurity scam they're trying to pull.

[daleo]

8. Well, this sounds like "America will invade Iran for you".

"In his interview, Mr. Cheney also elaborated, for the first time, on the meaning of President Bush's challenge to the Iranian people to rise up against their ruling clerics. In the State of the Union address, Mr. Bush said, "As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.""

Unless it is just a completely meaningless generality.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. But, but just two days ago Rice said

that invasion was not in our national interest...

You think she meant that in a HISTORIC sense?

There are days....

[MADem]

12. AT THIS TIME

Those THREE LITTLE WORDS were part of her sentence. She said invasion wasn't in our national interest AT THIS TIME, and that she wanted to go the diplomacy route....at this time, anyway!!!

AT THIS TIME: It's like that same old "time and place of our choosing" throwdown. I took no comfort from that presser in London.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. I know, I know

cynicism does not tranfer well, I know.

:-)

Taht is why I threw the "historical bit." I can hear her claiming in a year, it was historical you see, just like Bin Ladin determined to attack the US.

[MADem]

16. The sick thing is

...you are probably right!! She probably will, without apology, trot out that very excuse!

[mtnester]

18. Yeah, AT THIS TIME means it will be time when Iran starts selling oil in

Euros...then all bets are off

[smoogatz]

31. Bush the Ist said the same thing

To the Iraqis after the first Gulf War. The Kurds and the Shiia "Marsh Arabs" believed him, and were slaughtered. No thinking muslim would ever believe another word uttered by a member of the Bush family.

[Mikimouse]

10. BWahahahahahahahahaha! What a load!...

"As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you." Yeah right, just like they egged on the Hungarians in 1956 with empty promises of instant reinforcements if they rose up against the Soviets. Of course, the US never showed up and the Hungarian resistance fighters were steamrolled by Andropov and company. Such a deal!:mad:

[barb162]

13. yes this is a big laugh n/t

[MADem]

11. Unlikely?? That can only mean one thing....

...the "fix" is in. Ole Joey Stalin was right--it only matters who counts the votes. I'm starting to think it's "unlikely" that the process will be fair, if Cheney can make such bold assertions. Either that, or he cut a deal with Sistani. Of course, unless they keep the cleric on regular payouts, he could take a lump sum and do whatever the hell he wanted.

[LynnTheDem]

14. Leading Shiite cleric says new Iraq must embrace Islamic law

Poor "U.S. Officials", always always always wrong.

Quote:

Bush's challenge to the Iranian people to rise up against their ruling clerics.

***

Just like Poppa Bush urged the Iraqis to rise up and US had their backs...oops.

[anarchy1999]

17. Jeezus pleassse.... Stop! I am so confused. Which is it and what is

it going to be? Just from the few posts on this topic my head is reeling (I confess, maybe too much wine), but is anyone else confused here? Which way is this going?

[leftchick]

19. all you need to know is that whatever bushco** says

the opposite will happen. There will be an Iraqi Theocracy and yes the US will indeed attack Iran!

[FlyByNight]

20. They're the same people who said Iraq possessed WMD

Powell showed us pictures. Rumsfeld told us where. Bush mumbled on and on about an imminent threat. Condi warned us about a mushroom cloud... And it was all a big fucking lie and/or proved utterly false.

The Bushies simply don't pay attention to anything factual.

:grr:

[Vogon_Glory]

21. Sistani Wins, Booshistas Still Reality-Challenged

The Grand Ayatollah Sistani's candidates sweep the elections and the Booshistas tell us that the new Iraq "won't be a theocratic state." More Bushwah from the same folks who brought us Enron!

[Vogon_Glory]

22. Furthermore...No More Drinkin' In Baghdad for Christopher Hitchens!-eom-

[bullimiami]

23. they mean UNACCEPTABLE.

they will not let this get away from them, they have planned it for almost 15 years.

iraqis wresting control from the us corporatocracy will be a sign of neocon failure.

[geniph]

24. Opposition to direct clerical involvement

in governing does NOT mean they will not impose full Shari'a law. It just means the clerics won't be the face of the government. The ayatollahs will be behind the scenes, instructing the legislators in how to rule within the bounds of Shari'a.

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, only a moron would call it a puppy.

[hermetic]

25. Meet the new boss

Now that it appears that the Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani is the big winner in the Iraq elections, perhaps it's time to get up close and personal with our new best friend. Please do surf on over to www. sistani.org and learn more about the Shiite whom everyone loves to love.

[smoogatz]

27. The same morons who insisted we'd be greeted as liberators

Are now instructing us about the likely political outcome in Iraq. Experience would indicate that these people are always: a.lying, or b.wrong--which means that Iraq will almost certainly emerge as a Shiite theocracy with close ties to Iran. Which should have been completely fucking obvious--it's exactly what the demographics would suggest. It's also everybody's worst-case scenarion going in--especially the Saudis, who have their own large and restive Shiite minority to deal with.

[Mist]

33. And they're the same morans who said Iraqi oil would pay for everything!

Haven't heard much about that for a while...

[hatrack]

28. US Officials walk past graveyard, whistle loudly while doing so

Yes, and because they say so, it is true. Unbelievable how they maintain this arrogant sham, isn't it?

[sarcasmo]

29. The Theocratic US says no Theocratic Iraq, the irony.

Jesusland is on our way to a Theocracy and Cheney has the balls to say Iran will not be a Theocracy. These people in the White House are the biggest hypocrites.