NYT - Sunni-Shiite Quarrel Edges Closer to Political Stalemate

[Starfury]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/13/international/middleeast/13iraq.html

<snip>

In an attempt to defuse a political confrontation with this country's embittered Sunni Arabs, the Shiite-led constitutional committee of the Iraqi Parliament met for several hours on Sunday and decided to give Sunni Arabs 15 seats with full membership on the 55-member committee and 10 adviser positions. The Sunnis have insisted on at least 25 seats.

Sunni Arabs, about a fifth of Iraq's population, are thinly represented in Parliament because many refused to vote in national elections in January. American officials have been pressing Shiite and Kurdish leaders to give Sunni Arabs a greater role in politics.

<snip>

Meanwhile, an outspoken supporter of the war, Representative Walter B. Jones, Republican of North Carolina, said in an interview Sunday on the ABC News program "This Week" that he had changed his position, and he called for a fixed timetable for withdrawal of troops here.

The remarks came two weeks after military commanders told a Congressional delegation visiting Iraq that it would take about two years before enough Iraqi security forces were sufficiently trained to allow the Pentagon to withdraw large numbers of American troops

[aquart]

1. Sunni-Shiite, gosh, who could have predicted that?

[Starfury]

2. I know, it's a total shock - no one could have seen it coming.... n/t

[wildwww2]

3. Two years my ass! These incompetent maniacs led our own troops

into this lose-lose situation in Iraq. They are trying to fool people into thinking 2 years is feasilble. It is not. With Bu$h` co. or their ilk still in charge. We will still have forces dying in Iraq 10 years from now. Getting the same bullcrap from the media about training enough troops. Anyone who cannot smell "Iraqnam" brewing even stronger at this time is not paying attention.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President