Election won't quell insurgency in Iraq, Mideast expert says.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: David Crumm

DETROIT _ Juan Cole is a professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Michigan and a leading authority on Iraq. On Monday, he spoke with the Detroit Free Press about the impact of the Iraqi vote.

QUESTION: Are Americans safer because of these elections?

ANSWER: No, these elections won't have an impact on the guerrilla movement in Iraq. The violent insurgency will start up again as soon as people can move around the country freely once more. I think this conflict is going to continue for years.

Q: Are U.S. troops any closer to leaving Iraq?

A: I don't believe so. There have been some calls in Iraq for a U.S. withdrawal, but then people have tended to back off from those calls. The real problem is that this new government will have a big, red target painted on it and the new Iraqi political class that is emerging will realize that the only thing standing between them and death is the U.S. military. I don't think they'll be too eager to get rid of U.S. forces.

Q: Many Americans are talking about the election as a milestone in the struggle in Iraq. Do you think it was significant?