Iraqi tribal chiefs take US lessons in democracy

[impeach the gop]

Iraqis are told to learn the theories and the different mechanisms of implementation of democratic rule and to then choose their own form of democracy

Tribal leaders and mullahs are taking classes in democracy promoted by the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority amid warnings to sign up or face civil war in Iraq if they prevent a free vote.

The 200-odd Iraqis come mainly from the Shiite cities of Karbala, Najaf and Diwaniyah, but also the Sunni province of Al-Anbar, to hear American lecturer James Mayfield from the authority’s research and training institute.

The classes were set up at an Islamic university here ahead of the creation of a provisional national assembly next June followed by a vote for an elected assembly to draw up a new constitution by 2005. Dick Johnson, deputy to US civil administrator Paul Bremer, took part in the fourth lesson on Thursday, which focussed on the risk of a “Lebanisation” of the conflict in Iraq unless democracy prevails.

“If you don’t give people the oppportunity to choose their own representatives without any external pressure, it will happen like in Lebanon, chaos and civil war,” Mayfield told the gathering.

Lebanon plunged into inter-religious strife between 1975 and 1990.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_13-12-2003_pg4_8