Does Iraq need a strongman?

Here, courtesy of Real Clear Politics, is Daniel Pipes’ piece in the New York Post calling on the U.S. to select a “democratically-minded strongman” to rule Iraq. Pipes cites Ataturk in Turkey and Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan as models. This solution makes sense if, as Pipes believes, the alternative is an Iranian-style militant Islamic state. But, with all respect to Pipes who is far better informed on these matters than almost anyone, this belief strikes me as premature at this point.

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