Ayatollah Sistani seems to be threatening trouble. I think this would be very short sighted approach to shaping the future government of Iraq. First, with this much clerical interference, Iraq is well on its way to being as successful as Iran or Saudi Arabia (which are on their way out). Secondly, (and perhaps the reason he insists on immediate, direct, nation-wide elections) if things play out according to Sistani's wishes the Kurds and Sunnis are going to be slightly under represented. Thirdly, I am not sure the Iraqis will really cotton to theocratic rule. For all of Saddam's negatives, religion was not shoved down the people's throats and women had more freedom than in most of the Middle East.

So Sistani, we in the West have hundreds of years worth of experience in democracy, you have hmmmmm, oh yeah, NONE. Shut up and learn something.