Shiites await Sunnis’ answer
BAGHDAD, August 26 – Tension rises as talks come to a decisive stage, Shiites have now given their final compromises on the Iraqi constitutional draft to the Sunnis for review. They have been quite clear that this is their last effort to get their approval to which they were “forced” by George Bush. Not surprisingly since the only bit of progress that could cover the immense losses on U.S. side, but Sunnis seem reluctant to give in and demand a constitution that will keep the unity of Iraq intact.
Interestingly one of the main struggle points is that the Shiites have included a “life-time ban” for public positions for former Baath-members, the former party of Saddam Hussein. Shiites demand that they are kept away from gaining any control of the governmental system, not surprisingly. Sunnis seem to have trouble with this point seeing that Sunnis were the main ethnicity in the Baath party and thus go to great effort to protect their interests.
This constitution has become personal for our President, he even put in a call to the Shiite leader to persuade him to make changes and offer the Sunnis what they want. For him this constitution is the only positive thing that could possibly cover up the enormous casualty rate since the start of the war in Iraq, 1,800 and counting. More and more U.S. citizens are opposing the war since no real results appear but the losses are immense.
