Sunnis Say They've Been Left Out of Talks

[Quixote1818]

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sunni Arabs complained Saturday they were being sidelined in talks on the new constitution only two days before the deadline and warned that their community will reject the document if it is submitted to parliament without Sunni consent.

"They will surprise us in the final hour," Saleh al-Mutlaq, one of four main Sunni negotiators, told The Associated Press. "We will reject it and the people will be angry, the street will be angry and as a result we will be back to square one."

But a Shiite politician, Khaled al-Attiyah, was upbeat and said the negotiations were in the final stage. He said the Shiites submitted a new proposal on the distribution of Iraq's oil wealth, one of the remaining obstacles to a deal by the Monday night deadline.

Sunni Arabs also object to demands by Kurds and the largest Shiite party for a federal state, and oppose a major role for Shiite clergy in Najaf.

Continued:


http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050821/D8C3TCL82.html






This is an interesting article as well:

Army Planning for 4 More Years in Iraq

By ROBERT BURNS

(AP) Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker testifies on Capitol Hill in this Nov. 19, 2003 file...
Full Image


WASHINGTON (AP) - The Army is planning for the possibility of keeping the current number of soldiers in Iraq - well over 100,000 - for four more years, the Army's top general said Saturday.

In an Associated Press interview, Gen. Peter Schoomaker said the Army is prepared for the "worst case" in terms of the required level of troops in Iraq. He said the number could be adjusted lower if called for by slowing the force rotation or by shortening tours for soldiers.

Schoomaker said commanders in Iraq and others who are in the chain of command will decide how many troops will be needed next year and beyond. His responsibility is to provide them, trained and equipped.

About 138,000 U.S. troops, including about 25,000 Marines, are now in Iraq.

"We are now into '07-'09 in our planning," Schoomaker said, having completed work on the set of combat and support units that will be rotated into Iraq over the coming year for 12-month tours of duty.


Continued at:

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050821/D8C3TPN80.html

[KerryOn]

1. Thanks for the articles.....

In my opinion Iraq will never be at peace again. Saddam may have been evil, but he ruled with an iron fist to keep things under control. I don't think there is any other way.

These people have been fighting for centuries, and they will probably continue to do so for centuries to come.