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Civil Rights Before Elections
Reader comment on article: A Strongman for Iraq?

Submitted by David Jacob (United States), Apr 28, 2003 at 17:29

Thanks again, Dr. Pipes, for another brilliant article. Your competency in good thought-provoking, critical analysis is always much appreciated. Your sentence, which I quote back to you, truly defines the core values for democracy to establish a foothold--and must be the first step:

"The infrastructure of a civil society - such as freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, the rule of law, minority rights and an independent judiciary - needs to be established before holding elections." I agree wholeheartedly!

Elections, parliaments, political parties are merely the processes that follow after these core values are fully internalized and embraced by the Iraqis. Too often we see elections in autocratic societies as one-time events, parliaments are rubber stamps for a dictator's edicts and judiciaries are propaganda instruments for the leadership.

Your other vital sentence, "Who should fill the all-important role of strongman? The ideal candidate would be politically moderate but operationally tough; someone with an ambition to steer Iraq toward democracy and good neighborly relations." This is a major challenge and a tough nut to crack. Does a "politically moderate but operationally tough" candidate exist? Where would we find the Iraqi equivalent of Atatürk? And how would we promote such a candidate without the Iraqis impugning him as a US puppet? I remain skeptical but I hope I am wrong.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments.

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Other reader comments on this article

Title By Date
A Strongman for Iraq... [369 words]Eleanor GoldsteinNov 12, 2006 11:04
Get real [165 words]DavidMay 26, 2004 15:14
Is it possible? [42 words]PamelaMay 10, 2003 18:24
Freedom [23 words]StephenMay 6, 2003 04:19
Why did we bother? [253 words]Glenn KlotzMay 5, 2003 13:42
Faux strongman only [57 words]Erik RosaenMay 4, 2003 14:43
Did the US inch to democracy in steps? [66 words]DerekMay 2, 2003 05:44
Re: Pipes Is right [89 words]Khaldoun KhelilMay 2, 2003 03:35
and who will pay? [139 words]royMay 1, 2003 20:53
The real motives [138 words]Jose L AcevedoMay 1, 2003 19:15
↔ I agree with Jose L Acevedo [7 words]S Z KFeb 12, 2006 06:14
Ignorance is bliss [90 words]PeterMay 1, 2003 11:11
Nonsense [503 words]Abu FitnahMay 1, 2003 02:56
Once Again, False Advertising [762 words]MarkMay 1, 2003 00:14
Re-Install Saddam Hussein? [276 words]Oliver Boyd-BarrettApr 30, 2003 18:19
I Don't see it working [124 words]Tom BewickApr 30, 2003 16:10
Moderate Muslims [45 words]Ayesha A.Apr 30, 2003 15:14
Maybe it won't take that long [102 words]R BargerApr 30, 2003 13:15
Bravo - I think? [25 words]Bruce L. MurrayApr 30, 2003 11:56
Lack of history sense [166 words]Neil AbramsonApr 30, 2003 11:45
Please listen [22 words]John W. McGnleyApr 30, 2003 11:34
Back to square one? [122 words]Ahmad Kamal AbdollahApr 30, 2003 10:25
Who knows what Iraqi are capable of? [74 words]SallyApr 30, 2003 09:42
Start a ccc program [96 words]Ted GreenApr 30, 2003 09:03
Impossible [69 words]Philip SnyderApr 30, 2003 07:53
Your disperect [634 words]Abdul Razak HarunApr 30, 2003 06:15
↔ Ataturk [112 words]JohnMay 21, 2008 16:06
↔ To John [277 words]Abdul RazakMay 22, 2008 03:33
Saddam Hussein was a strongman... [128 words]H LuceApr 30, 2003 03:27
Ditch The Onion, Try Scrappleface.com [142 words]John HadjiskyApr 29, 2003 21:11
Not in our national interest [185 words]Sean OlsonApr 29, 2003 19:12
Problems with Fundamentalism in Government [59 words]Jaime EisenApr 29, 2003 17:12
Keep doing what you are doing... [134 words]John W. McGinleyApr 29, 2003 16:52
Re: comment, "Arab Democracy" [54 words]Khaldoun KhelilApr 29, 2003 16:39
Praiseworthy as always [15 words]Alexander BarrettoApr 29, 2003 15:54
Deja vu? [37 words]Jim VinselApr 29, 2003 13:56
Auditions for Strongman [77 words]Philip R. JohnsonApr 29, 2003 13:24
WANTED: Dead or Alive, WMD [56 words]sottomonApr 29, 2003 11:48
Bravo for common sense! [38 words]Reuben LandauApr 29, 2003 11:40
Iraqis demand "Yes to Islam" [82 words]A. A.Apr 29, 2003 09:31
Arab democracy [71 words]Henry E WellingtonApr 29, 2003 03:24
It might be good improvisation, but [163 words]Alain Jean-MairetApr 29, 2003 02:18
Are you sure?
[w/response] [47 words]		Wallace Edward BrandApr 28, 2003 23:40
Pipes is right. [182 words]Allen DaviesApr 28, 2003 22:35
A Strongman for Iraq? Where can we find him? [179 words]Doris FitzgeraldApr 28, 2003 21:53
Who's behind these mullahs? [43 words]D WeissApr 28, 2003 21:48
Homegrown strongman wanted... apply inside [304 words]Khaldoun KhelilApr 28, 2003 19:48
Militant Islam vs. Moderate Islam [84 words]Bruce GilboordApr 28, 2003 18:46
I respectfully disagree
[w/response] [385 words]		Bill BrentApr 28, 2003 17:53
Appreciation [135 words]Gary JonesApr 28, 2003 17:36
⇒ Civil Rights Before Elections [226 words]David JacobApr 28, 2003 17:29
The Evolution of a perceptual consciousness to a Conceptual one. [288 words]David SmithApr 28, 2003 17:09
There is no Difference between Islam and Radical Islam [548 words]Yael MedvedApr 28, 2003 16:53
Basics in Iraq [225 words]Ron Burgo PhDApr 28, 2003 16:48
Good ideas overall. [77 words]Gary FordApr 28, 2003 16:29
Guiding Iraq toward Democracy [234 words]John F. BradleyApr 28, 2003 15:35
Brilliant analysis! [77 words]Gorge SolomosApr 28, 2003 15:02
Can I Use This in Indonesia? [439 words]William McAuleyApr 28, 2003 14:57
Democracy: a red herring
[w/response] [368 words]		Alan NitikmanApr 28, 2003 14:54
Wishful Thinking [271 words]E.A. RemlerApr 28, 2003 14:50
Strongman for Iraq? [74 words]Sheldon RabinowitzApr 28, 2003 14:31
Lasting Peace in Iraq? Divide Iraq along Ethnic and Religious Lines [329 words]William BryanApr 28, 2003 14:23
Strongman for Iraq? [111 words]Kyle GosnellApr 28, 2003 14:13
Correct Diagnosis, Wrong Prescription [256 words]Todd WinteringApr 28, 2003 13:53
Another Alternative - Far-Fetched? [618 words]Ilona MelstradsApr 28, 2003 13:37
In total agreement with your views [102 words]Carmen Waggoner, Ph.D.Apr 28, 2003 13:31
I don't agree [136 words]TouficApr 28, 2003 13:20
on "a strongman for Iraq" [79 words]Daniel TauberApr 28, 2003 13:11
These two can't be together [175 words]George El MasriApr 28, 2003 12:45
Comments to Iraqi Strongman [157 words]Mark SmithApr 28, 2003 12:27
Strongman for Iraq [131 words]Toni HuppApr 28, 2003 11:56
Strongman for Iraq [123 words]Jim SaxonApr 28, 2003 11:01
The New Iraq [115 words]Hikmat FarajApr 28, 2003 10:11
This is exactly what many feared. [94 words]BillApr 28, 2003 10:09
We already have a strong man. [174 words]William HartApr 28, 2003 10:09
U.S. Role in Iraq [157 words]A.J. KarloffApr 28, 2003 09:54
On target! [62 words]GloriaApr 28, 2003 09:50
Pervez Musharraf, for example? [51 words]Mel FechterApr 28, 2003 09:46
Pretty interesting [19 words]NedraApr 28, 2003 06:47

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments.

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