I'm actually somewhat impressed. It is not poorly written or vague in that manner that many other "democratic" nations are and the literary style is understandable but faintly elegant. This is the document that Iraqis have been waiting on for decades (I recall the Iraqi National Movement calling for a democratic Iraq back in the early 90s and now it is truly becoming a reality). The turnout was also an impressive 65%, which is probably higher than our own country Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! . The only real hurdle here is how to sustain it in the face of danger and how to satisfy the sunni minority which has voted NO in a ballot boxes for fear of sectarian alienation.
First part of the article from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4347636.stm So... are you proud of what you have created? The people who you "liberated" now live far worse than under Saddam, civil liberties included, and religios extremism is on the rise. =============================== Voting on the new constitution was a joyous affair for Iraq's Shias. It was only the second time in decades they have been able to cast a democratic ballot, following January's election. In the queues outside polling stations, people were clear about what they thought a "Yes" vote would mean. "We want to live in an Islamic republic," said one woman dressed in the traditional black abaya. "That is our religion, so we must have a president who is Islamic too." The prospect of such an outcome from Iraq's new democratic process causes dread in London and Washington. But whatever happens nationally, Shia militias - many backed by Iran - are already imposing their own strict version of Islamic Sharia law on the streets of Basra, in southern Iraq. Students attacked Local people say three female students at Basra University have been killed for failing to cover themselves in the black abaya and hijab. This follows a notorious incident in March when gunmen attacked students in a park. As the police stood by, the gunmen ripped the blouse from one woman, leaving her half-naked. Two male students who went to help her were shot. The militia filmed all this, concentrating on the woman's humiliation; she was later said to have committed suicide. The gunmen, loyal to a radical Shia cleric, distributed a CD of the footage in Basra. It was a warning to others not to allow men and women to mix in public. Iraqi women in Basra Women have complained of human rights abuses "The militia were hitting us again and again with iron bars and rifle butts," said one of the students. "I have left Basra with my family now because the militias control all aspects of our lives, because of the killing and the kidnapping." He went on: "The miserable thing is that the British forces were just watching all this. They let the militia destroy the rule of law here." Coalition failing This student must remain anonymous to protect relatives still in Basra. But he is not the only one accusing the coalition of failing the people it is supposed to be helping. Inside the heavily fortified British embassy in Basra, diplomats had gathered a small group of Western-leaning, reform minded, middle class Iraqis. These were Britain's friends in Basra but they could hardly contain their bitterness. "The British Army handed the city to the Islamist groups as a gift," one human rights campaigner said. "People are even saying bring the Americans here. Some people actually want the Americans instead." One of the few who does not mind being named, Professor Adel al Thamary of Basra University, told me: "All in all, our life is worse than when we used to live under Saddam because now we are under fire. Now we can be killed any time on the streets." =============
