NYT/Reuters: U.S. Pressure on Iraq Could Backfire, Say Experts

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. Pressure on Iraq Could Backfire, Say Experts
By REUTERS
Published: August 15, 2005
Filed at 7:46 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is pushing Iraqi leaders hard to reach agreement on a draft constitution but U.S. experts on Iraq warned on Monday that too much pressure could backfire and undermine the leadership's credibility....

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The Bush administration is under intense pressure at home to get the constitution signed and for Iraq to be seen as moving ahead after the U.S. invaded it in March 2003 and toppled President Saddam Hussein....

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice downplayed the news of the deadline extension and said it showed ``democracy at work'' in Iraq. While the United States was involved ``every step of the way,'' the Iraqis were firmly in charge, she said....

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But some U.S.-based Iraq analysts disagreed and criticized the United States for piling too much pressure on all sides to reach agreement and said it had made Iraqi politicians' jobs more difficult....

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Middle East specialist Shibley Telhami said he thought the United States was playing too big a role in helping draft the constitution and this posed a credibility problem for the current Iraqi leaders....


http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-iraq-usa-pressure.html

[GeorgeGist]

1. "I don't think that anyone could have predicted that these people would

(fill in blank). Condoleeza Rice (fill in date).

[bemildred]

2. "undermine the leadership's credibility"

Yeah, the ventriloquist has to be careful not to move his lips,
or the effect is not realistic.

[leesa]

3. Funny. I don't think you need to be an expert to predict this!