AP Photo

Iraq, it would seem, rewards the pessimist. There have been signs that the country was lurching towards an eventual recovery. Violence is down overall, sectarian conflict seems increasingly unlikely, and, most encouragingly, the seeds of democracy appear to have taken root. But the country still manages to move backwards almost as often as it makes progress. The ban on 500 Iraqi politicians, most of them Sunni, is a massive blow to democracy in Iraq and could have a detrimental impact on the parliamentary elections in March.

It is difficult to see anything but political motivations in this decision. Though the Justice and Integrity commission of the Iraqi parliament claims that the ban is for past support of the Baath party, the manner in which the ban was applied leaves those...