This Tuesday piece in the Christian Science Monitor helps to explain the otherwise-puzzling notion that Sunni senior statesman Adnan Pachachi was Washington?s first choice for the ceremonial role of president of Iraq. It seems that Pachachi (also close to the Saudi royals and other regional Sunni leaders) was committed to the proto-constitution that the Coalition and its appointed Governing Council had fashioned and promulgated some months ago. The Shiites weren?t crazy about it, fearing that its assurances of minority rights might go too far in limiting the governing authority of the majority of voters in upcoming elections, which will almost certainly be the Shiites.
The Kurds liked the interim constitution, fearing something like the opposite and with good historical reason, but they also apparently like and trust the Sunni tribal leader and U.S-trained engineer, Ghazi al-Yawar, that ended up with the presidential nod.
So there you have it ? interest groups and parties in Iraq are jockeying for position, nonviolently.
What an unholy mess we?ve created!
