▁longer ▁expects ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁model ▁new ▁dem ocracy , ▁a ▁self - support ing ▁oil ▁industry ▁or ▁a ▁society ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁people ▁are ▁free ▁from ▁serious ▁security ▁or ▁economic ▁challeng es ... ▁' What ▁we ▁expected ▁to ▁achieve ▁was ▁never ▁real istic ▁given ▁the ▁tim et able ▁or ▁what ▁unfold ed ▁on ▁the ▁ground ' ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Prince ▁Sa ud ▁al - F ais al , ▁the ▁Sa udi ▁foreign ▁minister , ▁said ▁he ▁had ▁war ned ▁the ▁Bush ▁administration ▁that ▁Ira q ▁was ▁hurt ling ▁toward ▁dis integration , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁election ▁planned ▁for ▁December ▁was ▁unlikely ▁to ▁make ▁any ▁difference . ▁U . S . ▁officials ▁immediately ▁made ▁statements ▁reject ing ▁this ▁view . ▁ ▁Constitution al ▁rat ification ▁and ▁elections ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁Assembly ▁elected ▁in ▁January ▁had ▁draft ed ▁a ▁new ▁constitution ▁to ▁be ▁rat ified ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁refer endum ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁For ▁rat ification , ▁the ▁constitution ▁required ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁national ▁vote , ▁and ▁could ▁be ▁blocked ▁by ▁a ▁two ▁third s ▁" no " ▁vote ▁in ▁each ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 ▁governor ates . ▁In ▁the ▁actual ▁vote , ▁ 7 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁vot ers ▁voted ▁in ▁favor , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁two ▁third s ▁" no " ▁vote ▁in ▁only ▁two ▁governor ates , ▁both ▁pre domin antly ▁Sun ni .