The Bush administration’s conception of federalism in Iraq is to have 18 small states and for the Kurd population to be spread out over four states so that it is harder for them to secede, Feldman said.

But Feldman said he believes there will ultimately be three provinces.

The other main challenge in forming a democracy in Iraq is the tension between religion and state, Feldman said.

Iraqis feel that Islam should be recognized as the state religion, but with a guarantee of civil liberties, he said.

But Feldman said that to people in the U.S. “something doesn’t fit” in this model.

The answer to this problem is for liberties and equalities to be unequivocally written in a new constitution, according to Feldman.

Both Islam and civil liberties should be independently codified in the constitution, Feldman said.

Despite the many challenges, Feldman said he believes that a positive outcome in Iraq is possible.

He said he saw hope in the growing number of newspapers in Iraq.

Feldman said that he is no longer in Iraq because a path to a constitutional convention now exists.

“I know full well the only reason they listened to me is because I had the American army nearby,” Feldman said of his time as an adviser in Iraq. “The Iraqis throw out 95 percent of what we tell them, anyway.”