War Supporters Concerned That 'Theocracy' Will Be Final Word in Iraq Saga

"This also raises the specter of an Iran-style oversight body of theocrats," Shea wrote in a recent memo to the NSC and State and Defense departments. "All members of the Supreme Court must be required to have a civil law education. This is necessary in the context of today's Middle East. Even Pakistan, which has some sharia courts, has a civil Supreme Court, which has overturned some of the worst excesses of sharia, including the death sentences for blasphemy (80 blasphemy cases now pending in Pakistan)."

In an e-mail to me on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman James Turner wrote that the constitution guarantees minority rights, women's rights, and freedom to worship. "The U.S. Military and Coalition Forces are assisting Iraqi Security Forces to create the conditions so the political process can move forward," Turner wrote. "One should not prejudge the results of the drafting of the constitution. It is tough, difficult work and most important all parties remain at the table to work through important issues."

State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez in a telephone interview also emphasized the U.S. push for women's rights and religious freedom to be included in the constitution. "We anticipate that the final draft will reflect that input," he said.

Vasquez and Turner also agreed that the final content of the constitution would be left up to the Iraqis.

"[U.S] Ambassador [Zalmay] Khalilzad has been involved in facilitating negotiation and communication between the various parties," Vasquez said about the U.S. role in the political process. "As the ambassador has said, the U.S. is available to assist as directed."

So while the administration expected the final version to reflect its desires, it could not ensure the result.

Should Iraqi voters approve this constitution, only time will tell whether the concerns of critics here at home were valid. But should Bush's last justification for war fail, the president could be left with nothing in the bag.

Comments can be sent to Terry Neal at commentsforneal@washingtonpost.com.