“Beyond the ballot”

George W. Bush called December elections in Iraq a “major milestone in the march to democracy”. They are indeed a milestone, but not just the kind that London and Washington would welcome.
When George W. Bush and Tony Blair invaded Iraq, the pretext was the weapons of mass destruction. Since the pretext no longer worked out, it became the support for democracy in Iraq and the Middle East. However, if the elections took place, it was not because of the support of the US, but that of Ali Sistani. If there were a real interest by the Iraqis, it would be observed from the polls conducted which showed that more than 80% of Iraqis opposed the presence of the occupation troops, but Bush and Blair still refuse to set a timetable for withdrawal.
The United States does not want a sovereign Iraq, but its control the country’s energy resources. If Iraq were a sovereign nation, it would approach Iran and enhance relations with the Saudi Shia who live in oil areas. We could then think of an alliance between Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabian Shia regions that would control vast oil areas and follow Iran’s policy to build closer ties with China. This is the US major concern. That is why Washington is struggling against this possibility and ensuring its control over Iraqi oil.