Diplomat Watches For Keys To Iraqi Success

by Gabe BullardFormer Iraqi diplomat Feisal Istrabadi was in Louisville Thursday to discuss Iraq's recent elections, and their roll in the nation's future.Istrabadi helped draft the country's interim constitution and bill of rights. He says after the winners are declared in this year's election, it will be important to see who the Iraqi President appoints to various government positions."Are technocrats being appointed to the ministries or is it more political hacks?" he says. "If it's technocrats who know how to make the trains run on time, who know how to make the garbage trucks run on time, et cetera et cetera, that's one state of affairs. You can be optimistic about the future."Istrabadi says the appointments as well as how leaders work with ethnic and political minorities will determine the government's stability going forward.Istrabadi is now a visiting professor at Indiana University. He made his comments on WFPL's State of Affairs.