Buried in the bad news of another bombing....

....is some very good news from Iraq.

The bombing in Mosul followed intense negotiations between Shiite and Kurdish leaders. If the main Shiite umbrella group and the Kurdish alliance reach a final agreement, they will have enough seats for the two-thirds vote in the constitutional assembly that is required to form a new government. The winners of the Jan. 30 elections, particularly the Shiites, have come under intense criticism for allowing negotiations over a new government to drag on.

Adnan Ali, a deputy of the Dawa Islamic Party, whose leader is the Shiite nominee for prime minister, said the Shiites and Kurds drafted a document on Wednesday that laid out the guiding principles under which they would form a coalition. The two sides have agreed that the transitional law approved last spring will be the foundation of the government, Mr. Ali said. Although some religious Shiites have been pressing to make Islam the foundation of all Iraqi law, the transitional law does not make Islam the sole source of legislation.

The Shiites and Kurds are also trying to bring Sunni Arab leaders, many of whom boycotted the elections, into the political process to dampen the insurgency and isolate those who carry out attacks. If the former governing Sunnis continue to feel disenfranchised, the chances of a full civil war will grow, many Iraqi leaders say.

Apparently the fears of a theocracy, whipped up by the negapuss "experts" will not be realized after all.

I'm certain they are disappointed. (Hat tip to Cori Dauber.)