Who're You Gonna Trust?

Well I guess this is the latest twist that the media is applying in order to make it seem like Iraq is going to the dogs and that the US has wasted its time there:

"Iraq Shiite leaders demand Islam be the source of law "

And, of course, all the Left's drones are doing the usual groaning and moaning, along with several of the anxious Right.

Except, apparently, the headline is NOT TRUE--according to Omar at Iraq the Model, who says:

Anyway, back to the main subject and the alleged statement; I chose to wait until the next news hour and of course until I chill out a little bit after the disturbing news and then I heard this update on the story "Haider Al-Khaffaf, a senior Sistani's aide says that no such statement was released".
And going back to Friday's news, another senior aide of Sistani said from Kuwait that "the future constitution of the country is an issue that is left for the National Assembly to deal with".

And, he goes on to say:

Well, maybe elections were religion Vs secularism, but that would be the perspective of the cleric-like politicians and not the people's. It is true that Mullahs seize power in Iran but that Iranian model cannot take place in Iraq, simply because there's no place for a totalitarian regime in future Iraq and power can not be monopolized by any particular small group.
Bottom line is, the last word will be the people's from now on in Iraq and Iraqis will never accept a one man rule no matter what; They're tired of being controlled and they will never, ever approve a new kind of tyranny under any name.

Let's give the Iraqis a chance here. They may indeed revert to tyranny at the drop of a hat, but it seems unlikely that the people who were so joyous on January 30th and danced in the street celebrating their newfound freedom would rejoice about a new plan of enslavement.

I'd like to let events play out a bit over the next year or so as the Iraqis write their consitution and struggle with keeping all the various factions united in a nation--in other words, take the baby steps necessary toward a free society. I don't particularly trust the media's negative spin--they have repeatedly shown they will do or say anything to make Bush look bad. And the next stage in demonstrating that Bush was wrong will be to spin everything the Iraqis do or say to make it seem like they WANT to be oppressed.

I'm sure there are all sorts of potential despots hanging around in the mosques and cafes, etc., eagerly waiting for the slightest opportunity to seize power and oppress the people of Iraq under their particular form of tyranny. These kind of religious and secular thugs exist in every society--even our own.

Like Omar, I will put my trust in Freedom, and the Human Spirit.