The Kiss of Death

The American Government sent a message to the Iraqi Shiite Ayatolla Sistani. In it, they ask Sistani to intervene to break the political deadlock in Iraq. Sistani, the ultimate leader of 60% of the Iraqis, is probably the most powerful person in the country.

Over the last year or so I've become a great admirer of Sistani. If Iraq is able to stabilize, I'm convinced that Sistani will be seen as another Ghandi-like figure. He has been dedicated to non-violence, he has encouraged democracy and the political process. He has been the main force preventing an all-out civil war in Iraq up to this point. However, he believes religious leaders should stay out of politics for the most part. In a time when many extreme religious leaders in the Middle East are so radical, and demand political authority, Sistani is one of a kind.

He is the reason we have had any success in Iraq at all, yet you barely ever hear his name in the MSM. I am thankful for that. You know how anti-Americanism works. If the Americans love someone, then most people in the Middle East probably won't trust them. A too favorable opinion of Sistani in American news could be the kiss of death; his followers may start to think of him as an American pawn.

Back to the issue at hand. America has asked Sistani to intervene to break the political deadlock. What if he was considering that already? Now if he goes through with it, will it appear that he is caving to US pressure? Will it look as if he is at all influenced by America? Sure it will, and it might undermine is authority. Thats the worst thing that could happen right now, a time when Sistani is the only cap that is containing the likes of the militaristic al-Sadr, and preventing a full blown civil war.

The Iraqi political process at this point is theirs, and theirs alone. The US shouldn't be appealing to anyone to break this deadlock. If the Iraqis are committed to democracy, they will get around it. If they fail to do so, then this fledgling democracy would have failed eventually anyways. We really shouldn't be invoking Sistani to do something, when he certainly knows better than some US bureaucrat what is best for the Iraqi political process; especially considering that by doing so we undermine his authority.

Stay out of it, America. The only thing we should be doing over there at this point is providing enough security and money such that the system doesn't collapse altogether.