] I'm not sure we should project western ideals and morals upon
] other groups of people.

I agree, and that is exactly my point. How was the war sold to the American people? Three parts really:

1- Dangerous madman who can launch WMDs in 45 minutes.
2- UN Violations
3- Lack of Women's rights, lack of democratic government, lack civil liberties and the what not.

The deafening silence left by the withdrawl of all WMD searchs pretty much kills issue one as reasonable. UN Violations are something we routinely overlook when it suits us, just as it served our interests to make such a stand over them on Iraq. All that was left was 3, and the news coming from Iraq recently seems to show those are fading quickly. How much the mullas can sway the government is unknown, but this is not going to be the Island of Democrasy that Bush rallied on.

Would some one please explain to me why we spent 1,417 American lives and $200+ billion to tranform a secular country with a contained dictator into a country that will most likely have constitution based on Islamic law?

RE: Leading Shiite Clerics Pushing Islamic Constitution in Iraq