Los Angeles Times: US Tested by Sadr’s Victory in Iraqi

Democracy ensures that one nation may not appreciate election results of another nation, and a longtime opponent of the United States took the lead in Iraq’s parliamentary elections. “For years during the long U.S. occupation of Iraq, Muqtada Sadr was an intractable foe, blamed by the Pentagon for hundreds of deaths of American service members, as well as atrocities against Iraqi civilians,” write Tracy Wilkinson and David S. Cloud for the Los Angeles Times. “But his surprise lead in Iraq's parliamentary election may force American officials into a new, unfamiliar relationship with a onetime foe, who rode to victory on a platform that called for attacking Iraq's endemic corruption and ousting Iran, in addition to the U.S. military, from Iraq.” The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 and still has troops there for training and support against extremist groups. Over the years, Sadr’s opposition toward the United States may have subsided somewhat and his antagonism for Iran increased. Sadr’s coalition did not win a majority and requires other partners. About 7000 candidates vided for 329 parliamentary seats, and election results are not yet official. Battling corruption, a major concern for voters will require cooperation of all members of parliament. – YaleGlobal