The short history of the Iraq war is that the Sunnis in Iraq, and in the nearby Arab states, refused to accept one man, one vote, because it meant bringing the Shiite majority to power in Iraq for the first time. The Sunni mainstream, not the minority, believes Shiites are lesser Muslims and must never be allowed to rule Sunnis. Early in the Iraq war a prominent Sunni Arab leader said to me privately, “Thomas, these Shiites, they are not real Muslims.” ~Thomas Friedman, The New York Times

But of course a minority sect would not want to endorse majority rule in a country that has no experience with democratic practise.  That was basic and obvious from day one.  What sane Sunni would want to empower his sectarian rivals?  To this Mr. Bush would reply, “I thought the Iraqis were Muslims.”  Little wonder that we are in the sorry state that we are.