Foreign Affairs LIVE: A Discussion of Iraqi Futures
Stephen Biddle and Steven Simon how to ensure stability continues in Iraq in this inaugural Foreign Affairs Live debate.
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Iraq is plagued by political gridlock and an uptick in violence. To keep the country from dangerous collapse, Washington may have to maintain a military presence in Iraq while pushing leaders in Baghdad toward national reconciliation and political accountability.
Although questions of implementation remain, the new Iraqi constitution makes Islam the law of the land. This need not mean trouble for Iraq's women, however. Sharia is open to a wide range of interpretations, some quite egalitarian. If Washington still hopes for a liberal order in Iraq, it should start working with progressive Muslim scholars to advance women's rights through religious channels.
Last month, a supposed power-sharing deal in Iraq ended the country's long political stalemate. But is the victory another case of wishful -- and dangerously naive -- thinking on the part of the United States?

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