NOTES ON LONDON INTERVIEWS WITH IRAQIS RE PEACE PROCESS

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by Tom Hayden

They include the Association of Muslim Scholars and have productive links with Moktada Al-Sadr's movement. They boycotted the January 2005 elections and have refused so far to meet with any American or British officials.

In general summary, these are their demands .

First, there must be a schedule of US withdrawal from the occupation.

Second, the US must hand over the agenda to an international body including the United Nations, Islamic countries and the Arab League that creates an interim or transitional security force. The same body or contact group should take over economic reconstruction.

Third, there should be internationally-supervised elections.

Fourth, the Iraqi state and army should be rebuilt with the aid of Arab and Islamic countries.

Any interim government would have to be rebranded as a caretaker and technical one. <"mettre les competences nationales sous la supervision de l'ONU au service du pays, et non plus des politicians">.

"The people who came with the tanks will have to leave with the tanks."

Common Dreams

[knowbody0]

1. perfect