Abdullah fears the election process could deepen divisions.

"Jordan's King Abdullah has said it will be impossible to hold fair elections in Iraq in the current state of chaos. He told the French newspaper Le Figaro that only extremists would gain if the elections went ahead in January without the security situation improving.

"Correspondents say these were remarkably frank comments from a man Washington regards as one of its key allies in the Middle East."

These elections are NOT to get a representative government, they are to get a more legitimate puppet for the US to present to the world.

In a genuine election, people can vote for whom they want, not for a slate of candidates hand-picked by a foreign occupying power. That just makes sense.

And the US military will have to stay there as long as there is oil to pump. They're fighting Iraqis, not "insurgents".

Oh, yeah, the country has become a haven for those who hate the US, both because of the way we've treated 'em and the chaos which we have created. But when an occupying power is fighting about everyone in the largest cities, has to hide it's embassy, can't travel the countryside, that's grim.

And they want to hold "elections", anyway.

Not my idea of "democracy".

Arf