Sunnis Oppose Iraq's Proposed Constitution
Friday August 19, 2005 12:01 PM
By HAMED AHMED
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sunni Arabs and followers of a radical Shiite cleric held protests Friday against federal provisions in Iraq's proposed constitution, as negotiators sought to reach agreement on the charter by next week's deadline.
Sunni Arab negotiators are holding out against Shiite and Kurdish proposals for a federal structure for Iraq, saying such proposals would divide the country.
The Sunnis want a strong central government.
On Thursday, masked gunmen burst into the Sunni grand mosque in the tense city of Ramadi as religious, political, and tribal leaders met to discuss possible Sunni participation in the constitutional process. The gunmen asked participants to end their meeting and then opened fire on them, said Omar Seri, secretary of the governor of Anbar province.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5220459,00.html