A unity government is very unlikely now. The gulf between them is wide right now. |
For the first time, talking to the US has the endorsement of a very powerful conservative faction in Iran. |
The elections have now confirmed that Sunnis are not the majority in Iraq and that they will not call the shots. |
The key issue will be what kind of power the Sunnis get from these numbers when it comes to negotiations about the government. What kind of cabinet posts will they get? How will resources be distributed? What kind of representation will they have in patronage and government? |
What you have in Iraq is not just a society coming apart like Yugoslavia or Congo. What is at stake is not just Iraq's stability but the balance of power in the region. |