Posted on 02/02/2006 6:49:02 AM PST by jmc1969
Iraq's Sunni leadership presented the majority-Shi'ite government yesterday with a 10-point ultimatum that they said would either end the violence or lead to a national strike and widespread street demonstrations.
It was the first time the Sunni minority has publicly offered conditions to end a bloody insurgency that has left thousands of Iraqis dead. However, it was not clear how much control the political parties have over the insurgents, who include foreign terrorists and disgruntled former members of dictator Saddam Hussein's military.
At the top of the list of demands was the resignation of the interior minister and his entire staff -- who are seen as leading a brutal anti-Sunni campaign through Iranian-trained Badr militias and a pro-Shi'ite police force.
The call comes amid a rise in sectarian killings, which Sunnis suspect are sanctioned by the government. Bodies of Sunnis, many blindfolded and shot in the head, are found almost daily.
Speaking through Tariq al-Hashimi, who heads the Islamic Party within the Sunni-led Iraqi Accordance Front coalition, the Sunnis also asked that the Iraqi army take over from the police in the country's cities.
At a Baghdad press conference that was telecast across the region, Mr. al-Hashimi said all militias in Iraq must be disarmed. He called for a halt to random arrests, or any arrest without a court order, and said all those being held without court orders should be released.
(Excerpt) Read more at wpherald.com ...
:D
I don't know enough about it... is there any chance it could be set up to fail? You know, legitimate the continued rebellion?
Here, Washington Times. Let me edit your title for you:
Sunnis offer peace "deal"
Considering it doesn't demand US troops leave I doubt it.
There are a lot of Shi'ite families that lost people to Saddam's Sunni government. Eye for an eye has been the rule of law there for many centuries, and former Ba'ath Party members are executed daily.
If we can keep Iran from influencing the Shi'ites too much, then there is hope for an eventual peaceful settlement where Kurds, Shi'ia and Sunni all share power.
If Iran has it's way, then civil war will be inevitable, with the Sunni dominated military fighting the Shi'ite dominated police force.
they know they are losing
Only Iran and Zarqawi want a civil war because it is the only way they can divide Iraq and carve out large chunks of it for themselves.
....well....lookie here.......
It isn't losing or winning, the democratically elected Sunni leaders know the only ones who will win a civil war in Iraq are Iran and al-Qaeda so they are trying to make a list of conditions that would statisfy enough of the Sunni public that they would have the power to tell most Sunnis that it is not worth it to give up the fight. Otherwise the elected Sunni leaders could never get most of the domestic fighters to stop.
I think sooner than later Iran will have its own issues to deal with.
My guess is that the vast majority Sunnis are not whack jobs and just want to live in peace with their neighbors; and for that matter, the vast majority of Shiites could be described the same way. If some kind of deal can be struck so that both can cooperate to stop disaffected elements both inside and outside the government from taking advantage of the current situation, you'll see a marked improvement in Iraq.
The real problem is there are agitators on both sides backed by Iran and al-Qaeda that are doing everything they can to spark a civil war in Iraq.
" It isn't losing or winning, the democratically elected Sunni leaders know the only ones who will win a civil war in Iraq are Iran and al-Qaeda so they are trying to make a list of conditions that would statisfy enough of the Sunni public that they would have the power to tell most Sunnis that it is not worth it to give up the fight. Otherwise the elected Sunni leaders could never get most of the domestic fighters to stop. "
they will stop when there are no more of them to fight
over there, and on this, there is no grey area, comply and survive or die. IMO, that is the only logic they understand at this point
again IMO, untill a few generations have had a chance to grow into democracy, we will see more of this
The vast majority of Sunnis are either on the fence or supporting the Iraqi government.
The only thing that could change that is a civil war.
Zarqawi and Iran know that.
A civil war will not happen and if it does happen it will end up quickly with the utter defeat of the Sunni Arabs. The Sunni Arabs are only 20% of the Iraqi population and they will be crushed by the Shia who are 60% of the Iraqi population and control the Army, the police, the intelligence, and every aspect of the government.
and then 11, and then 12, and then...
Sorry, but the Sunnis are far better fighters then the Shia. The Shia may greatly outnumber the Sunnis and that would matter greatly in the long run. But, as we have seen with Israel and in many other countries and conflicts the quality of the fighters is massively important. And, governmentally and militarily the Shia are still quite ignorant compaired to the Sunni.
However, you are right that the Sunnis would be crushed quickly, not by the Madhi Army or the Badr Bergade, but because the Iranians would move into Iraq the second the US left. And, public support for the war would force us out quickly if a fullscale civil war broke out.
From all your extensive posting regarding Iraq, I know by now that you take the side of the Sunnis Arabs because you think that the Shia represent Iran. You are very wrong on this, the Shia Arabs are not the agents of the Persian Shia, just look how badly the Persians treats the Arabs Shia who live in Iran ans these Arab Shia are somewhere around 20% of the total population.
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