Mission Impossible

Can Iraq be democratised? After spending months in Iraq, Australian foreign correspondent Paul McGeough is not sure.

In June this year, the Bush administration wants - or at least wants to appear - to hand back control of the country to the Iraqis. Despite continued uncertainty and conflict, the White House maintains its public optimism about the future of the country, its invasion of which was based on lies. What is the basis for this optimism?

Iraq's anti-democratic tradition and history provides a major hurdle. So does the power struggle among Bush's hand-picked team of exiles flown in after the war and, perhaps most of all, the uncertain outcome of the push for power by the country's majority Shiite population.

McGeough examines what sort of country Shiite-controlled Iraq might be and contrasts this vision with that of the US. This essay is a tough polemic, and well-timed to coincide with the next major phase in Iraq's troubled history.

Mission Impossible by Paul McGeough offers an incisive exploration of these critical issues, providing valuable insights into the challenges and potential future of Iraq at a pivotal moment in its history.