While it could be two weeks until Iraqis know who they-ve elected to be their leaders, yesterday-s turnout was a shot in the arm for President Bush, and a wake-up call for the rest of the Middle East. Nevertheless, the election would not have been possible without US and British forces to provide security. Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said today that, after yesterday-s voting, -terrorists now know that they cannot win.- Still, the large turnout of Shiites could make it difficult for Sunni leaders to accept the results. Will the new government have the power to enforce its will and establish the rule of law? How soon will Iraq cease to be -a republic of fear?- We update the vote-counting process and the likelihood of uniting Iraq with reporters for The New Yorker and BBC, and the founder of the Iraqi National Congress, now an opposition figure. (An extended version of this segment was originally broadcast earlier today on To the Point.)
KCRW
