While you were preoccupied with the mud wrestling in D.C., the Iraqis in power apparently decided to build themselves a theocracy:

American officials have also been concerned that the Shiite religious parties may use their majority in the assembly to push for a constitution that rejects Iraq's strong secular tradition in modern times in favor of a stringently Islamic state. On that score, developments on Wednesday offered little comfort to the Americans, with Humam Hammoudi, the Shiite cleric who is chairman of the parliamentary constitutional committee, telling reporters that the Shiite leaders will press for a clause declaring Islam to be the principal source for all legislation.

...on the future role of Islam, his position and that of Sciri appear resolute. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, Sciri's leader, said in an interview last weekend that his party would insist that Islam be the main source of future legislation, and that Iraqis would welcome a more stringent moral and religious order.

Well, given the domestic rhetoric of the Americans who made all this possible, it's really poetic justice, isn't it?

*****

However, for now some things stay secular, I guess. BBC World Monitoring reports:

...the cabinet has decided to form a Financial Committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad al-Chalabi which will be responsible for reviewing all the contracts signed by various state institutions.

Yikes.

(Via Needlenose and Juan Cole.)