Democracy is messy

And boy, the administration is sure finding out that Donald Rumsfeld was correct at least once.
US threatens to cut aid to Iraq if new government is sectarian

The US and Britain are pressuring Iraq's dominant Shia community to relinquish two key ministries in negotiations for a new government, as the country was hit by a wave of bombings that killed at least 24 people.

The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, warned yesterday that Washington might cut aid to the Iraqis if the new government included sectarian politicians, pointing out that the US had spent "billions" in building up the police and the army.

"American taxpayers expect their money to be spent properly. We are not going to invest the resources of the American people into forces run by people who are sectarian," he said. He singled out the defence and interior ministries, saying they should be in the hands of people "who are non-sectarian, broadly acceptable and who are not tied to militias".

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, flew into Baghdad last night and was expected to deliver a similar message. A Foreign Office spokesman said that while it was up to Iraqis to decide on their government members, "we are keen to see these two departments in the hands of competent people, probably technocrats".

First it was "we will be greeted with flowers" and now it turns out that the concept of Democracy in Iraq is not quit the same as it is here in the US. The administration was so intent on attacking Iraq that they ignored the cultural realities on the ground. The Shia are in charge and are likely to tell Bush and Blair to take a walk. They would prefer to work with their friends in Iran anyway.