Young Iraqi Shiite Cleric to US: Bet on Democracy in Iraq

Hat tip http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
See David Ignatius Washington Post Friday, August 26, 2005 column Playing The Shiite Card

 America is finally having its great debate over the Iraq war

 Young Iraqi Shiite cleric Ammar Hakim oldest son of Abdul Aziz Hakim, the leader of the Iranian-backed Shiite party known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq speaks for the people who arguably have gained the most from America's troubled mission in Iraq and, to a surprising extent, still believe in it.

 He met with officials at the State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council

 Hakim had a clear message during his visit…that the United States should continue to bet on democracy in Iraq

 "The truth is, this is a grand plan, and any time you are engaged in a grand plan, you will face difficulties. But we will overcome them. We are now in the final quarter of these difficulties."

 He hoped future generations of Iraqis would look at their current leaders with the same gratitude that Americans feel when they regard Lincoln.

"President Bush is playing a great role in giving Iraqis a chance to build a democratic process," he insists. The new constitution will create "a stable and balanced Iraq where all sects will be treated justly and equally."

See prior posts
Analysis of Military Situation in Iraq

What’s Happening in Mosul, Iraq

Facts from Iraq

World Watches as Iraq Becomes Test for Democracy