Iraq Election Results, What Does This Mean for the Rest of the World?

[McDeath_the_Mad]

So according to CNN, the Shiite party has won the election.

So what does this mean for the rest of the world or the country?

Are the Shiites extremists? Were they predicted to win the election? Are they expected to unite the country?

MtM

[Ice Wolf]

I think, in large part, we'll have to wait to find out.

[Squink]

No one is sure what the elections mean yet. Here (http://www.juancole.com/2005/02/shiites-take-absolute-majority-in.html) at least is some informed speculation.

[rjung]

To no one's surprise whatsoever, Ahmed Chalabi -- the guy who the Bush Administration wants to run Iraq, and the guy who insisted American forces would be "greeted as liberators" -- is already on the short list of candidates to become Iraq's new Prime Minister. (http://www.theage.com.au/news/Iraq/Chalabis-political-future-back-on-track/2005/02/13/1108229853477.html?oneclick=true)

And some folks are reporting that the US government is already taking steps (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GB15Ak02.html) to ensure that whatever government ultimately gets appointed in Iraq won't be one that's run by religious law -- even if that's what the Iraqis want.

Lovely.

[samclem]

Since many of the answers here are gonna be opinions about politics, let's move it to Great Debates from GQ.

-samclem GQ moderator

[SentientMeat]

To no one's surprise whatsoever, Ahmed Chalabi -- the guy who the Bush Administration wants to run IraqAllawi (whose party only got 17%) is the candidate favoured by the US. Chalabi is most certainly out of favour these days after it became clear that the might well be an Iranian stooge. The Shia's have a 51% majority and will probably court the Kurds to gain the supermajority necessary to ratify the constitution, after which it can properly pursue a course of cooperation with Iran.

In fact, Iran might have planned this all along (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1224075,00.html). Punk'd!