Iraq may well be on a course to becoming the next Iran ' an Islamic republic that tramples on individual liberties in the name of religion. Arguably, the propensity of the predominately Shia country is to develop a government more concerned with adherence to the Quran than to the preservation of civil liberties. Altering Iraq's current path is a long-term effort and one particularly important point of influence for the US is Iraq's education system; although not a singular solution, the curriculum of the education system will heavily influence the thought process of future generations of Iraqi leaders. Without continued US engagement, Iraq may turn out to be a problem instead of the middle-eastern ally we seek.

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