The body isn't even cold yet....

....and already the vultures descend.

Just how many Sunni Arabs voted in Iraq's election might not be known for a long time. But one thing already is certain: A lot did not.

Hailed the world over as a triumph of democracy, the vote is unlikely to bring into the fold a group that could prove crucial to peace in Iraq. Already there are strong indications Iraq's majority Shiites are most likely to emerge the clear winners, once the counting is complete.

In contrast, many Sunni Arabs shunned the vote, either out of fear or in response to boycott calls from clerics. A senior U.S. official, speaking Monday in Baghdad on condition of anonymity, cited the boycott calls, intimidation and absence of well-defined leaders as the factors behind the low Sunni turnout.

If confirmed, that low turnout could cast a shadow over the election's credibility and hand the bloody Sunni-led insurgency another reason to carry on.

Of course they couldn't possibly know this, because the results won't be announced for about ten days, but of course they are "experts", aren't they?

Seems there's a lot of those around these days.