:
Fri - Sept 24 -

BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARBODIS -

In today's entries, Prof Juan Cole discusses Violence and the Iraqi Elections. The professor often gives valuable background information on the Iraqi situation, but I think he has missed a crucial point in this entry.

If Iraq-minus-3-provinces conducts elections, and the Iraqi Public doesn't like the administration which is voted in, they can vote it out in the next election.

:: COLE - OP CIT ::

Then Prof Cole seems to make a further point which implies that if the administration which is initially voted into office is not approved of by all the Iraqis, the first election will be a failure and have disastrous results.

Not so. That's why there are competing candidates, other parties, and, at least, a "loyal opposition" in a democracy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aljazeera TV Net once again offends comity with the lead paragraph on this related issue, characterizing the reception to PM Allawi's speech before Congress as "scorn and ridicule," using others as their transparent surrogates.

And then they add the pejorative "farce" to denigrate the prospect of the Iraqis exercising self-determination.

The Iraqis' only option, they would lead us conclude, is Doom !

...