WP: Iraq Uprising Growing, Powell Says

[kskiska]

Successful Elections Seen as Way to Alleviate Muslim Anger

Monday, September 27, 2004; Page A14

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday that the insurgency in Iraq is getting worse and that the U.S. occupation there has increased anti-American sentiment in Muslim countries, but he said successful elections in Afghanistan and Iraq would turn the situation around.

"We have seen an increase in anti-Americanism in the Muslim world. We'll not deny this," Powell said on ABC's "This Week." "But I think that that will be overcome in due process because what the Muslim world will see . . . is that in Afghanistan, 10 million people who have registered to vote will vote on the ninth of October and bring in place a freely elected president.

"And I think we're going to do the same thing in Iraq if we stay the course, if we defeat this insurgency," Powell said.

He acknowledged that "yes, it's getting worse, and the reason it's getting worse is that they are determined to disrupt the elections."

But he rejected the notion, put forward recently by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, that it would be sufficient to hold elections in most, but not all, of Iraq.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52400-2004Sep26.html

[daleo]

1. It is hard to say if elections will bring legitimacy to either country

Perhaps well run and honest elections would tend to confer legitimacy on new governments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The problem is, most people around the world will not have much faith in the honesty of such elections, especially elections sponsored by the Bush administration, which many consider tainted through electoral fraud.

Two things might help:
- a Kerry administration taking over and sponsoring the elections, followed by a quick U.S./U.K. withdrawal.
- parties that are against the U.S. winning and taking over in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Neither eventuality seems all that likely to me in the near future, although they may be the only way out of the quagmire in the longer run.

[Kimber Scott]

2. Two things will calm the insurgency in Iraq...

One, take it (Iraq) off the market and two, put Iraqis back to work.

[Moderator]

3. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=865970