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10-26-2005, 05:58 PM
IRAQ WRAPUP 6-Iraqi Sunnis form alliance as U.S. deaths mount
Wednesday 26 October 2005, 5:22pm EST
By Michael Georgy and Waleed Ibrahim
BAGHDAD, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Sunni Arab leaders formed an alliance on Wednesday to run in Iraq's next election, as the U.S. death toll passed 2,000 and intensified pressure on Washington.
Three Sunni parties joined a coalition to contest the Dec. 15 parliamentary poll, after fierce Sunni opposition narrowly failed to veto a new, U.S.-backed constitution in a referendum.
"We call upon all Iraqis to participate actively in the elections and not listen to calls for boycotts because they are harmful," the new Iraqi Accord Front said in a statement.
The alliance of the Iraqi People's Gathering, the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue was the clearest sign yet that some Sunnis are turning to the ballot box after boycotting Iraq's last parliamentary vote in January.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are likely to welcome the move, but it is not clear if the group has much sway over hardline Sunni insurgents fighting the Shi'ite and Kurdish-led government and the U.S. occupying force protecting it. Nor did it appear to have the backing of all mainstream Sunni politicians.
The U.S. military, which on Tuesday marked its 2,000th death since the 2003 invasion, on Wednesday announced another soldier had died, in a vehicle accident in southern Iraq.
The rise of the U.S. death toll has piled pressure on President George W. Bush to show progress in Iraq, with growing numbers of U.S. voters sceptical about the direction of the war.
The U.S. military also said that two al Qaeda members, one a cell leader accused of taking part in at least three videotaped beheadings, have been killed in Iraq.
The suspected cell leader was killed during a raid on a house in Mosul on Saturday, while the second al Qaeda member, identified as Abu Du'a, was believed to have died in an air strike near Qaim in western Iraq on Wednesday.
BOOST FOR WASHINGTON
The referendum result is one boost for Washington, opening the way for an election U.S. planners hope will mark Iraq's emergence as a stable ally capable of handling its own security, removing the need for U.S. troops.
Much depends on whether Sunnis -- who represent about 20 percent of the population -- are brought on board under a deal, brokered by U.S. diplomats days before the referendum, which opens the constitution to amendment by the new parliament.
The U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, visiting Washington, again stressed the Sunnis' ability to amend the constitution, largely drafted by Shi'ites and Kurds; it was a "living document" in which Sunni concerns on federal autonomy and Islamic law would be dealt with in the new assembly.
Political change and stronger Iraqi forces could allow U.S. troops to reduce their numbers next year, he added.
Sunnis turned out in large numbers to vote against the constitution this month, but failed to muster the two-thirds majority "No" in at least three provinces necessary to veto the measure. Two provinces reached the mark; a third fell short.
Some Sunni leaders said their failure to block the constitution, which many fear hands permanent control of much of Iraq to the Shi'ite majority and its Kurdish allies, would spur a new political campaign to force Washington to withdraw.
"Our political programme will focus more on getting the Americans out of Iraq," Hussein al-Falluji, a prominent Sunni who took part in talks on the constitution, told Reuters.
"Our message to the American administration is clear: get out of Iraq or set a timetable for withdrawal or the resistance will keep slaughtering your soldiers until Judgment Day."
News of the 2,000th U.S. death, which prompted memorials and anti-war protests in the United States, was met with grim satisfaction in some parts of Iraq dominated by the insurgency.
"This number shows the size of Iraq's heroic resistance which has embarrassed the Americans," said Suha Jabir, a 35- year-old housewife in Falluja, scene of some of the war's most ferocious battles between militants and U.S. troops.
DEADLINES AND DOUBTS
With a Friday deadline looming for parties and electoral coalitions to register on the ballot paper for the Dec. 15 vote, Sunni leaders hope to develop a coherent political strategy although deep rivalries may undercut unity.
The present ruling Shi'ite Islamist alliance is deep in talks that will determine whether it holds together or breaks up and runs on rival tickets.
Sunni hardliner Saleh Mutlak of the National Dialogue took a cautious view of the polls, which will elect a full four-year parliament to replace the current transitional legislature.
"We want to go for the elections but it will be rather difficult because it will be hard to convince people about the benefits from the political process," said Mutlak.
Sunni disillusion has been stoked by Saddam Hussein's trial on charges of crimes against humanity, which began last week. Saddam -- still regarded as a hero by some of his fellow Sunnis
-- entered a not guilty plea and challenged the legitimacy of the court set up to try him.
On Wednesday, Saddam's defence lawyers said they were suspending all contact with the Baghdad court, fearing for their lives after the murder of a colleague last week.
It was unclear what impact the announcement would have on the case, which has been suspended until Nov. 28. But it fuelled doubts raised by human rights groups over the trial's fairness.
(Additional reporting by Claudia Parsons, Hiba Moussa, Azeel Kami, Omar al-Ibaidi in Baghdad, Fadel al-Badran in Falluja)
© Reuters (http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=tnBusinessNews&storyID=nL26545667&imageid=&cap=) 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday 26 October 2005, 5:22pm EST
By Michael Georgy and Waleed Ibrahim
BAGHDAD, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Sunni Arab leaders formed an alliance on Wednesday to run in Iraq's next election, as the U.S. death toll passed 2,000 and intensified pressure on Washington.
Three Sunni parties joined a coalition to contest the Dec. 15 parliamentary poll, after fierce Sunni opposition narrowly failed to veto a new, U.S.-backed constitution in a referendum.
"We call upon all Iraqis to participate actively in the elections and not listen to calls for boycotts because they are harmful," the new Iraqi Accord Front said in a statement.
The alliance of the Iraqi People's Gathering, the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue was the clearest sign yet that some Sunnis are turning to the ballot box after boycotting Iraq's last parliamentary vote in January.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are likely to welcome the move, but it is not clear if the group has much sway over hardline Sunni insurgents fighting the Shi'ite and Kurdish-led government and the U.S. occupying force protecting it. Nor did it appear to have the backing of all mainstream Sunni politicians.
The U.S. military, which on Tuesday marked its 2,000th death since the 2003 invasion, on Wednesday announced another soldier had died, in a vehicle accident in southern Iraq.
The rise of the U.S. death toll has piled pressure on President George W. Bush to show progress in Iraq, with growing numbers of U.S. voters sceptical about the direction of the war.
The U.S. military also said that two al Qaeda members, one a cell leader accused of taking part in at least three videotaped beheadings, have been killed in Iraq.
The suspected cell leader was killed during a raid on a house in Mosul on Saturday, while the second al Qaeda member, identified as Abu Du'a, was believed to have died in an air strike near Qaim in western Iraq on Wednesday.
BOOST FOR WASHINGTON
The referendum result is one boost for Washington, opening the way for an election U.S. planners hope will mark Iraq's emergence as a stable ally capable of handling its own security, removing the need for U.S. troops.
Much depends on whether Sunnis -- who represent about 20 percent of the population -- are brought on board under a deal, brokered by U.S. diplomats days before the referendum, which opens the constitution to amendment by the new parliament.
The U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, visiting Washington, again stressed the Sunnis' ability to amend the constitution, largely drafted by Shi'ites and Kurds; it was a "living document" in which Sunni concerns on federal autonomy and Islamic law would be dealt with in the new assembly.
Political change and stronger Iraqi forces could allow U.S. troops to reduce their numbers next year, he added.
Sunnis turned out in large numbers to vote against the constitution this month, but failed to muster the two-thirds majority "No" in at least three provinces necessary to veto the measure. Two provinces reached the mark; a third fell short.
Some Sunni leaders said their failure to block the constitution, which many fear hands permanent control of much of Iraq to the Shi'ite majority and its Kurdish allies, would spur a new political campaign to force Washington to withdraw.
"Our political programme will focus more on getting the Americans out of Iraq," Hussein al-Falluji, a prominent Sunni who took part in talks on the constitution, told Reuters.
"Our message to the American administration is clear: get out of Iraq or set a timetable for withdrawal or the resistance will keep slaughtering your soldiers until Judgment Day."
News of the 2,000th U.S. death, which prompted memorials and anti-war protests in the United States, was met with grim satisfaction in some parts of Iraq dominated by the insurgency.
"This number shows the size of Iraq's heroic resistance which has embarrassed the Americans," said Suha Jabir, a 35- year-old housewife in Falluja, scene of some of the war's most ferocious battles between militants and U.S. troops.
DEADLINES AND DOUBTS
With a Friday deadline looming for parties and electoral coalitions to register on the ballot paper for the Dec. 15 vote, Sunni leaders hope to develop a coherent political strategy although deep rivalries may undercut unity.
The present ruling Shi'ite Islamist alliance is deep in talks that will determine whether it holds together or breaks up and runs on rival tickets.
Sunni hardliner Saleh Mutlak of the National Dialogue took a cautious view of the polls, which will elect a full four-year parliament to replace the current transitional legislature.
"We want to go for the elections but it will be rather difficult because it will be hard to convince people about the benefits from the political process," said Mutlak.
Sunni disillusion has been stoked by Saddam Hussein's trial on charges of crimes against humanity, which began last week. Saddam -- still regarded as a hero by some of his fellow Sunnis
-- entered a not guilty plea and challenged the legitimacy of the court set up to try him.
On Wednesday, Saddam's defence lawyers said they were suspending all contact with the Baghdad court, fearing for their lives after the murder of a colleague last week.
It was unclear what impact the announcement would have on the case, which has been suspended until Nov. 28. But it fuelled doubts raised by human rights groups over the trial's fairness.
(Additional reporting by Claudia Parsons, Hiba Moussa, Azeel Kami, Omar al-Ibaidi in Baghdad, Fadel al-Badran in Falluja)
© Reuters (http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=tnBusinessNews&storyID=nL26545667&imageid=&cap=) 2005. All Rights Reserved.