Iraq constitution passes, American fatalities reach 2000

The new Iraq constitution has passed despite strong opposition from the country's Sunni minority. If the constitution had gotten a 2/3 No vote in three provinces, it would have gone down to defeat. After over 2/3 of the voters in two Sunni provinces voted against the proposal, only 55% of the majority-Sunni Nineveh province voted against it.

CNN is also reporting that the number of American troops killed in Iraq has reached 2000. Hopefully the passing of this constitution leads to a more peaceful Iraq, but I'm more than a bit pessimistic about that actually happening given the level of opposition to this constitution by the Sunni minority. In the two other Sunni dominated provinces, 97% voted against the constitution in Anbar, and 88% opposed it in Salaheddin.

Jeffrey Goldberg has interviewed Brent Scowcroft, former Bush 41 National Security Advisor, for this week's New Yorker. Scowcroft, a longtime Bush family friend, has some very harsh criticism for the Bush 43 administration and its foreign policy.

Excerpt courtesy of Steve Clemons:

"I thought we ought to make it our duty to help make the world friendlier for the growth of liberal regimes," he said. "You encourage democracy over time, with assistance, and aid, the traditional way. Not how the neocons do it."

The neoconservatives -- the Republicans who argued most fervently for the second Gulf war -- believe in the export of democracy, by violence if that is required, Scowcroft said. "How do the neocons bring democracy to Iraq? You invade, you threaten and pressure, you evangelize." And now, Scowcroft said, America is suffering from the consequences of that brand of revolutionary utopianism. "This was said to be part of the war on terror, but Iraq feeds terrorism," he said.