Particularly following the devastation of the in Iraq is no longer based on realities, but instead on token results that can be presented to his increasingly dissatisfied populace. A successful referendum could, irrespective of the emerging civil war, herald the end of large-scale US troop presence. Rejection would be the stuff of nightmares for Iraq, the region and the international community.
Iraq is on the cusp of a new era. the constitution commission approved a draft constitution on August 28 and in the middle of this month, a nationwide referendum will either accept or reject it. This is, arguably, far more important for the countries of the coalition than for Iraqis, as its acceptance could signal the beginning of their long-awaited exit strategy.
