BTL:Despite Success of Iraq Vote, Anti-Occupation Insurgency Likely to Continue

BTL:Despite Success of Iraq Vote, Anti-Occupation Insurgency Likely to Continue

by Between the Lines' Scott Harris Friday, Feb. 04, 2005 at 12:02 PM
betweenthelines@snet.net BETWEEN THE LINES c/o WPKN Radio 89.5 FM Bridgeport, Connecticut

Interview with Hussein Ibish, vice chairman of the Progressive Muslim Union, conducted by Between the Lines' Scott Harris

Despite Success of Iraq Vote, Anti-Occupation Insurgency Likely to Continue

Interview with Hussein Ibish, vice chairman of the Progressive Muslim Union, conducted by Scott Harris

The Jan. 30 Iraqi election, which produced a higher turnout among Shiite and Kurdish voters than expected, prompted President Bush and his supporters to declare the vote a triumph of democracy and a defeat for insurgents who had launched attacks to disrupt the ballot. Supporters of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq were quick to declare the election a vindication of their war policy, although the democratization of Iraq was clearly not the original justification for the conflict. In a televised address to the nation shortly after the election, the president said, "The people of Iraq have spoken to the world, and the world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East." The 275-member transitional national assembly is to draft a constitution, with a referendum on that document to take place in October.

But because many in the Sunni minority of Iraq's population either boycotted the election -- or stayed away from the polls due to threats of violence -- there is concern that a new government that will be dominated by Shiite political parties could set off inter-religious conflicts or a civil war. There is also concern in the region and among policymakers in Washington that a new Shiite government could move toward establishing an Islamic fundamentalist theocracy allied with Iran.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Hussein Ibish, vice chairman of the Progressive Muslim Union, who assesses the Jan. 30 Iraqi election and what it may mean for the future of Iraq and the insurgency fighting to end the U.S. military occupation.

Visit the Progressive Muslim Union's website at www.pmuna.org

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

http://www.btlonline.org
*
"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
*
betweenthelines@snet.net
*
http://www.squeakywheel.net/
*
Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions
©2005 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.