Iranian Alert - March 18, 2006 - Sunnis condemn Shia call for US-Iran dialogue on Iraq

Regime Change Iran ^ | 3/18/06 | freedom44

[freedom44]

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BAGHDAD -- One of Iraq's most prominent Sunni Arab organizations was fuming on Saturday over a key Shia leader's recent appeal for Iran to open a dialogue with the United States on the situation in Iraq.

"We are indignant over the request made to Iran by [Iraqi] political parties to open a dialogue with the Americans on their differences regarding Iraq," said the statement by the hardline Muslim Scholars Association.

"The interference of Iran in Iraqi affairs is nothing new," said the statement, explaining that the call "does nothing more than legitimate this interference and give it an international cover".

On Wednesday, Abdel Aziz Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, one of the main Shia political parties in the country, called on Iran to talk to the United States and resolve their differences over Iraq.

The largest Sunni Arab political party, the Iraqi Islamic Party, weighed in with a statement of its own on Friday, condemning any such talks in "strongest terms" and describing it as "unjustified and egregious interference in Iraqi affairs".

The condemnations highlight a major split among Iraq's political forces, with the Shias, especially Hakim's party, having close ties to Iran while the Sunnis have long been suspicious of the Islamic republic with whom they fought an eight-year war.

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[freedom44]

[Roverman2K]

Cool, we can play them off each other.
Bush is a genius.

[bybybill]

Somebody tell the RATS, it`s time to switch, WE ARE WINNING

[Marine_Uncle]

Hopefully we shall soon read about positive actions taken by the majority of Iraqi parties to ban together in protest of Sadr and Hakim's rather transparent activities with Iran. And find more public discourse in Iraq that now is the time to abandon ties with the Iranian regime. And concenrtrate on electing Iraqi officials within the major party players that will demonstrate, their allegience to Iraq.
Else things are not going to progress to much in the next month or so.
Of course with two months to play with, perhaps as they stew, and public discourse increases, a national unity government concept may win out.
We must not forget, though Sadr for instance holds a spell over the poor bastards in the slums of Baghdad, his spell may not reach out to many Shia dominant provinces, and the same goes for Hakim and crew. Their militas could end up being told to disband under the current constitution's articles that deal with militias.
Further. If some cool heads such as Talabani keep making statements as to how guys like Allawi would really represent all Iraqi's, and has shown in the past his willingness to serve without to much corruption, who knows, Iraqi may bite at the offer.
It was a major concession in having Jaffari make a public announcement that if Iraqi did not want him to serve again as PM, he would step down. That tells me the Dawa party and brother SCIRI are not so powerfull as not to have to consider the will of other major parties wishes.
All is not lost yet. Things could get better on the political front in the next few weeks.
Every attempt by every insurgent contributor continues to fail to ignite the country into sectarian civil war. The Iraqi do show more resiliance then I had expect from them.

[DoctorZIn]

Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!

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[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Fred Hayek]

I also saw in the St. Pioneer Pravda that Ganji has been released from prison. Lost a lot of weight. Still has not silenced him. Story from Washington ComPost.

[AdmSmith]

Not a bullish day at the Tehran Stock Exchange today:

TEPIX 9459.4, -267.7 ,i.e. down 2.8%
Main Mkt Index 9135.7 , -317.9, i.e. down 3.4%

http://www.tse.ir/

[DoctorZIn]

To read today’s thread click here.

Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin”