The Shiites are upset the US troops are still in Iraq and there is no perspective for direct elections yet.
They're the US allies, normally. But are protesting.
U.S. officials also have conceded they worry that Islamic radicals or holdovers from the ruling Baath Party could fare better than other groups in direct elections because they have long-standing organizations.
The Ayatollah Ali Sistani could hold an important position if there are elections.

But is Bush really for democracy or rather, as Benjamin Barber writes, the fact is that the U.S. often doesn't really want democracy — what it actually wants is an assent to its policies.

One of the reasons why so many around the world opposed the war was: what do you want in place of Saddam?
An Islamist state? Was it worth all the blood ?

Raoul