WP: Religious Leaders Ahead in Iraq Poll

[TomClash]

Leaders of Iraq's religious parties have emerged as the country's most popular politicians and would win the largest share of votes if an election were held today, while the U.S.-backed government of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi is losing serious ground, according to a U.S.-financed poll by the International Republican Institute.

Within the Bush administration, a victory by Iraq's religious parties is viewed as the worst-case scenario. Washington has hoped that Allawi and the current team, which was selected by U.S. and U.N. envoys, would win or do well in Iraq's first democratic election, in January. U.S. officials believe a secular government led by moderates is critical, in part because the new government will oversee writing a new Iraqi constitution.

"The picture it paints is that, after all the blood and treasure we've spent and despite the occupation's democracy efforts, we're in a position now that the moderates would not win if an election were held today," said a U.S. official who requested anonymity because the poll has not been released.





. . .

The poll found the most popular politician is Abdel Aziz Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). The group was part of the U.S.-backed opposition to Saddam Hussein and is now receiving millions of dollars in aid from Iran, U.S. officials say.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52674-2004Oct21.html

[Mikimouse]

1. I'm...SHOCKED...........NOT!

Pffft. If brains were dynamite, these morons wouldn't have enough to blow their collective noses. What in earth made these idiots think that a US installed puppet was ever going to be accepted by the Iraqi people? Now, they are yapping about a secular, moderate government in Iraq? Clue for the *istas, that's pretty much what they had under Hussein, and it was your murdering interference that put an end to it!

[Moderator]

2. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=923141



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