Iraq Constitution Compromise Offered

[ECH1969]

BAGHDAD -- Driving toward Monday's deadline, Iraqi officials said US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad presented to selected leaders yesterday a US version of provisions of the new Iraqi Constitution that remain in dispute.

After a day of ducking in and out of meetings with politicians, Khalilzad presented a document based on the constitution drafted by an Iraqi commission but containing language the Americans recommended as ways to settle divisive issues, according to people close to the leaders.

"It's the full constitution but with the American points of view on the main points where we have differences," said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish member of Iraq's Constitutional Commission, who is close to the Kurdish leadership. Othman and other Kurds were awake at midnight going over the document.

"I guess you could say there's a Kurdish version, a Sunni , a Shi'ite , and an American one," said another person close to the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

http://www.aina.org/news/20050812100051.htm

[sabra]

1. "US version of provisions "

I was waiting for that. No suprise here!

[ECH1969]

3. Yup, no suprise

[VegasWolf]

2. WTF do the Americans have ANYTHING to do with the Iraqi

Constitution???? Oh yeah, make sure the Americans get sole
OIL rights!!

[bluedog]

4. whats a piece of paper

going to mean to these people?..I mean.does anyone really believe that after its signed and such..that peace and flowers springing up will just happen?

[alkaline9]

5. if we help write it...

...does that mean we get to help enforce it? Now I see why we need all those permanent bases in Iraq! I guess the BFEE plan really DOES make sense :-) :sarcasm:

[Kagemusha]

6. Everyone knew this was Khalilzad's way of operating.

Myself, I wouldn't taint the Iraqi constitution with American fingerprints at all costs. This thing is expected to stand for what, the next century? (In our wildest dreams anyway) How can he not understand that US involvement damages the credibility of the document?

Well, I imagine a) because he's a True Believer, b) he got word from the top that this constitution WILL happen.

[damntexdem]

7. And which section of Iraq will the American 'side' get?

The 14 bases? All of the oil?

[daleo]

8. This constitution will certainly lack legitimacy now

If it ever had any, this pretty well does away with it.