Iraq has set national elections after negotiations settled on terms for the election:
The presidential council on Tuesday postponed Iraq's parliamentary elections by seven weeks and set March 6 as the date for the vote, in a delay that has raised concerns about an increase in violence in the country.
But there are still terrorists out to destroy the Iraq that is being built one brick of rule of law at a time:
The decision on the election date came as a series of coordinated attacks killed at least 102 people and wounded 197 in Baghdad. It was the worst day of violence in the Iraqi capital in more than two months.
Three car bombs struck near government sites in the Iraqi capital, the third time since August that government buildings were targeted by multiple blasts that brought massive casualties. U.S. and Iraqi military officials had warned of the chance of increased pre-election violence aimed at destabilizing the government.
Don't forget that in the face of this violence and unhappiness over the original election process, enough bricks existed in the new Iraq to use rule of law rather than violence to set the terms for the elections:
Iraq was able to set the election date only after parliament approved a new law on balloting guidelines during an emergency session convened just before a midnight deadline Sunday.
Iraq has continued to defy pessimists who believe Iraq will fail as a democracy. Much can certainly go wrong--even if we stick around to fully help the Iraqis build and entrench rule of law--but much could go right, too. You don't even have to look Neoconish to think that would be a good thing.
