Sunnis Pressured to OK Iraq Constitution

[norml]

Sunnis Pressured to OK Iraq Constitution By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer
56 minutes ago


BAGHDAD, Iraq - American and U.N. diplomats stepped up pressure Saturday on Sunni Arabs to accept a new constitution with only two days before the deadline for its approval. A top Sunni official said his group would never accept terms that would lead to the division of the country.

President Jalal Talabani predicted a draft constitution will be ready by Monday's deadline, and a Kurdish official said the draft would be presented to parliament with or without Sunni approval.

With time running out, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and U.N. envoy Ashraf Qazi met separately with Sunni leaders but failed to persuade them to accept a federal system.

"We will not be subdued and will continue to cling to our stance," Sunni negotiator Kamal Hamdoun said. "We don't accept federalism ... We don't want federalism. We are confident that federalism means division and federalism cannot be approved at this time."


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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050813/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[TahitiNut]

1. Coercion. Yep. That's what freedom is all about.

Ubetcha. :eyes:

[despairing optimist]

2. What? No oil painting of the Iraqi Founders around a large wooden table?

No quill pens? No Iraq Federalist papers? This is so pathetic. An Iraq "constitution" and a boy scout jamboree: what Bush did this summer. When he fails to learn, two countries get left back.

[IndianaGreen]

3. That constitution is a recipe for civil war

Sunnis and many Shias will never accept a document that will lead to the Balkanization of Iraq. Under the "federalism" scheme, the oil producing provinces will keep all the profits from oil production and share none of it with the rest of the country. It doesn't take a genius to know what a recipe for civil war this will turn out to be.

[meganmonkey]

4. Well, considering what a great example we provide

for deMOCKracy :eyes:

[wli]

5. what now, "ratify it at gunpoint?" n/t

[VegasWolf]

Damn, does this mean that will have to take down that shiny new Bush

statue?

[VegasWolf]

6. Damn, does this mean that will have to take down that shiny new Bush

statue?

[daleo]

7. So, the U.S. is providing a constitution

When will they get a Declaration of Independence?

[Hissyspit]

8. It's easy if you leave out that pesky Bill of Rights thing...

and just base everything on Sharia law. Theocracy is fine.

/sarcasm