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Iraqi Sunnis Reject Slam-dunked Constitution
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“Every
Iraqi must stand in the way of all those who want to deepen
sectarianism in Iraq,” said Dulaimi. (Reuters)
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BAGHDAD,
August 24, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Iraq's Sunni
leaders stood staunchly against the draft constitution Wednesday,
August 24, saying it was slam-dunked on them by the US-backed Shiites
and Kurds and warned would divide Iraq.
Adnan
Al-Dulaimi, head of an umbrella group called the National Conference
for the Sunni People of Iraq and the Sunni Waqfs, said at a Baghdad
press conference that the charter sidelines the Sunnis and devolve too
much power to the Shiites and Kurds.
But
he said at the conference aired live by Al-Jazeera satellite channel
that the Sunnis are resolved to heavily engage in the country’s
political landscape “despite continued crackdown and arrests”.
“We
will never slip into the sectarian quagmire and will stand firmly
against those who want to pit the Iraqis against each other,” he
said, slamming what he called a “conspiracy” against Iraq.
“We
will cooperate with all factions to meet the aspirations of the Iraqis
and urge in the meantime the Iraqi people to stand united. We
therefore reject federalism in the central and southern regions, we
reject it because it has no basis other than sectarianism.
“Every
Iraqi must stand in the way of all those who want to deepen
sectarianism in Iraq.”
The
Shiites and Kurds, who dominate the government and have an
overwhelming majority in parliament, presented the draft minutes
before a extended deadline of Monday, August 22, expired despite Sunni
opposition.
The
speaker of the assembly accepted the document, but called for three
more days of talks to see if the Sunnis could be convinced to rally
behind it.
Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani held further talks with leaders from the
three major communities Wednesday, but he looked unlikely to be able
to forge a consensus before Thursday's parliamentary meeting, when the
constitution will be voted on, according to Reuters.
Positive
Attitude
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“All
in all, we reject the constitution because we never resolved
sticking points,” said Kubeisi.
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Dulaimi
said the Sunnis have showed a positive attitude in accepting to
co-draft the constitution.
“But
the Kurds and the Shiites have been keen on marginalizing us from day
one,” he said.
The
15 Arab Sunni constitution framers said in statements carried by the
Associated Press Monday that they were only invited to a single
meeting with the other negotiators since August 15, the original
deadline. That session was held Friday, August 19.
Dulaimi
reiterated that the current draft is “illegal” because it does not
have consensus.
He
also called for prisoners to be freed. Most of the more than 10,000
detainees in US-run facilities in Iraq are Sunnis.
“Iraq
is going through a crisis that needs all to raise their voice to
release prisoners before the elections so they can participate in the
vote,” he said.
Blunder
Abdel
Salam Al-Kubeisi, an official with the influential Association of
Muslim Scholars, said in another press conference that the parliament
will be committing a blunder if it passes the draft constitution.
“All
in all, we reject the constitution because we never resolved sticking
points despite statements from Kurds and Shiites to the contrary,”
he said on Al-Jazeera.
“We,
for instance, called for making Shari`ah as ‘the’ not ‘a’ main
source of legislation, but it was rejected.”
The
Sunni official further said the AMS is coordinating with Shiite leader
Moqtada Al-Sadr, who strongly opposes the constitution in its current
form.
“Iraq
is actually split down the middle vis-à-vis the US-led occupation,”
he said.
Kubeisi
said it is high time the United States put a timetable for its
withdrawal from chaos-mired Iraq and the United Nations took over.
In
a veiled threat to the Sunnis, US President George W. Bush said
Tuesday that Iraq's Sunnis have to decide if they want to live in a
society of freedom or violence.
“This
talk about Sunnis rising up, I mean the Sunnis have got to make a
choice. Do they want to live in a society that's free, or do they want
to live in violence?” Bush told reporters at a resort in Idaho.
‘Recipe
for Disaster
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Anti-war
protesters in silent prayers near Bush’s ranch in Texas.
(Reuters)
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Veteran
correspondent and columnist Patrick Cockburn criticized Wednesday in
an article published by Britain’s The Independent the intense
pressures exerted by the Bush administration on Iraqi politicians,
calling the US interference a “recipe for disaster.”
“The
determination of American diplomats in Baghdad over the past few days
to force a draft constitution through the Iraqi national assembly at
high speed is not aimed at producing a political success to coincide
with the birthday of President George Bush,” he wrote.
“But
it has everything to do with the desperate need of the White House, as
popular support for the war in Iraq ebbs by the day across the US, to
show that it is making progress. It is not Iraqi but American
political priorities which are paramount.”
The
Americans are showing more discontent with Bush’s handling of Iraq,
with high-profile protests during his ranch vacation and new poll
results showing nearly six in 10 Americans worried about the outcome
of the war.
Asked
whether the United States was meeting its objectives in Iraq, 56
percent of those polled said it was not and 39 percent said it was.
The
poll is to be published in next month's issue of Foreign Affairs,
the journal of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Bush's
month-long vacation has been marked by a growing anti-war protest
campaign near his ranch in Crawford, Texas, led by Cindy Sheehan,
whose 24-year-old son Casey was killed in Iraq.
Anti-war
groups have sought to keep up pressure on Bush while he is away from
Texas.
In
Boise, 90 miles (144 km) from where Bush is staying, dozens of
protesters gathered for a rally, including Melanie House of
California, whose husband was killed in Iraq when their son was four
weeks old.
“I
don't want other people to live the life I live,” as a 27-year-old
widow, she said, urging a pullout of troops from Iraq.
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