Economist.com, “A step in the right direction”
January 30, 2009
Nervous and hopeful, Iraqis vote in provincial elections on Sunday
“Getting Iraqis to accept the rules of the game, rather than seeing politics as a zero-sum scramble for spoils, will take a few elections yet. Mostly clean and peaceful provincial elections on Saturday would set Iraq on a firmer course. National elections at the end of the year will be even more important. If both elections were to go smoothly, an exit for American soldiers—such as that promised by Barack Obama within a couple of years—will be more likely too…”
