The New York Times > International > Middle East > Shiites in Iraq Back Islamist to Be Premier: “Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite doctor with an Islamist bent, was chosen Tuesday by the victorious Shiite alliance as its candidate to become Iraq’s new prime minister.” – Now wouldn’t it be ironic if the result of all this is that the US has overthrown a secular Western-style dictatorship only to pave the way for a Islamist fundamental religious dictatorship? What if the results of our efforts to bring “democracy” to the region end up adding the missing piece to the puzzle of a United Islamic Empire (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia)?