Iraq:Sunni leaders end boycott in name of liberation(face-saving way out?)

SMH ^ | 05/23/05 | Ellen Knickmeyer, Naseer Nouri

[TigerLikesRooster]

Sunni leaders end boycott in name of liberation

By Ellen Knickmeyer and Naseer Nouri in Baghdad

May 23, 2005

Page Tools Email to a friend Printer format More than 1000 Sunni Arab clerics, political leaders and tribal heads have ended their two-year political boycott, to unite in a Sunni bloc to help draft Iraq's new constitution and compete in elections.

Formation of the group on Saturday comes during escalating violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that has raised the threat of sectarian war. The bloc represents moderate and hardline members of the Association of Muslim Scholars, the Iraqi Islamic Party and other main groups of the disgruntled Sunni minority toppled from dominance during the US-led invasion in April 2003.

More than 500 people have died since the Shiite Prime Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, began announcing members of his cabinet in late April. Sunnis attending the conference condemned the bloodshed - particularly the tit-for-tat shootings this month targeting Shiite and Sunni clerics and their aides.

In a statement adopted at the meeting, the Sunni leaders called for the "liberating" of Iraq from US-led forces "by all legal means". The statement condemned "all terrorist acts that target civilians, no matter the reason", but said "resisting the occupier is a legitimate right".

Advertisement AdvertisementBecause of a Sunni boycott of the January elections, only 17 Sunnis have seats in the 275-seat national assembly.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Despite their belligerent rhetoric, this is indeed a progress.

[Unam Sanctam]

No we just need the Constitution written, and hope the Sunnis don't boycott the ratification referendum.

[xJones]

Sunnis attending the conference condemned the bloodshed - particularly the tit-for-tat shootings this month targeting Shiite and Sunni clerics and their aides.

If the much larger Shiite population is getting into the tit-for-tat cleric shooting business now with the much smaller Sunni population, it oculd be that even Iraqi Sunni clerics can get the message.

[Just A Nobody]

...but said "resisting the occupier is a legitimate right".

Straighten up and fly right and we will gladly leave.

Because of a Sunni boycott of the January elections, only 17 Sunnis have seats in the 275-seat national assembly.

And whose fault is that? idiots