There are three major areas of disagreement among the Iraqis trying to write a constitution for their nation: the role Islam will play in the nation's legal system, the extent to which they will follow a federal system of government, and how to divide the nation's oil wealth which is not evenly distributed across the nation.
The NY Times has a nice overview of all of this and where things stand as of now.
If you would like to weigh in on these matters, Slate magazine has a humorous survey going.
More seriously, these talks will have a tremendous impact on the rights of women in Iraq.
Depending on how sharia, or Islamic law, is interpreted and implemented, women may be getting a new birth of freedom in the region or be relegated to second-class status. Read one woman's commentary on all of this.
How does the situation in Iraq compare to the conflicts our Framers faced in that hot summer in Philadelphia in 1787? While the similarities have been often pointed out, there are some very big differences. An interesting analysis appeared in Slate.
Finally, an analysis in the CS Monitor states that while all are hoping a successful constitution and election will help bring down the level of violence in Iraq (and make it easier for the U.S. to withdraw quickly) a state of civil war essentially already exists, making this constitutional convention more like peace talks than anything our Framers engaged in.
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