Can Democracy Succeed in Iraq?
Alan Caruba / Anxiety Center — In the midst of our desire to see a happy outcome in Iraq, we must never lose sight of the ability of Arabs to reject every opportunity to join the modern community of nations, i.e., the industrialized West and those in Asia who are working toward a more peaceful, integrated worldwide marketplace. Much hinges on the fate of Iraq. As Bahram Saleh, a Kurdish leader, has said, Iraq is the nexus where many issues are coming togetherIslam versus democracy, the West versus the axis of evil, Arab nationalism versus some different types of political culture. If the Americans succeed here, this will be a monumental blow to everything the terrorists stand for. Thomas L. Friedman, the New York Times columnist, perhaps said it best back in January 2003, writing of the American victory in Iraq. Congratulations! Youve just won the Arab Yugoslaviaan artificial country congenitally divided among Kurds, Shiites, Sunnis, Nasserites, leftists and a host of tribes and clans
