Sunnis on Iraq's constitutional committee assassinated
AM - Wednesday, 20 July , 2005 08:04:00
Reporter: Mark Tamhane
TONY EASTLEY: While the US President and the Prime Minister were pledging to stay the course in Iraq, the troubled country was experiencing one of its most bloody days since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
At least 37 Iraqis were killed across the country, and in a setback for Iraq's political development, three of those gunned down were leaders of the Sunni community involved in drafting a new constitution.
Mark Tamhane reports the political assassinations come as neighbouring countries are expressing increasing concern about the security situation in Iraq.
MARK TAMHANE: The three men were gunned down as they left a restaurant in central Baghdad's Karrada district. Sheikh Mujbil al-Sheikh Isa and Dhamin Hussein Ileywi were Sunni representatives on the 71-member constitutional committee. The third man, Aziz Ibrahim, has been described as a close aide.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the insurgent group calling itself "al-Qaeda in Iraq", linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has previously pledged to kill Sunnis seen to be cooperating with the US-led coalition.
The Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Hajim al-Hassani condemned the killings.
HAJIM AL-HASSANI (translated): First of all we sent our condolence to the families of those brothers and we send our condolence to the Iraqi people.
We reject such an action and vehemently condemned it and those who committed such acts were aiming at sparking a sectarian division in Iraq and we will not allow such practices.
MARK TAMHANE: The assassinations came just hours after Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, announced that "good progress" was being made in drafting the constitution.
The document, which is due to be unveiled next month, and put to a referendum for approval later this year, is seen as a key plank in balancing the competing interests of the three major groups that make up Iraq – Sunni Arabs, Shi'ites and Kurds.Sunnis have been reluctant to be drawn into the constitutional process, and the killings seem to be a clear attempt to weaken the involvement of the nation's second largest bloc in Iraq's political future.
The continuing attacks by insurgents are also beginning to unnerve Iraq's neighbours.
Phrases such as "civil war" have largely been avoided by leaders in pro-western Jordan.
But Crown Prince Hassan wasn't mincing his words when he spoke overnight to the BBC.
PRINCE HASSAN: Civil war has actually started in Iraq and I don't think there's any other way of putting it.
We are basically seeing a conflict between balkanisation and polarity versus pluralism, which I think we all need.
I think what is happening is that Iraq is being divided into fragmentations – north, centre and south.
MARK TAMHANE: Crown Prince's Hassan's comments came as a donor conference for Iraq was getting underway at a Jordanian resort on the Dead Sea.
Iraq's Planning Minister told the gathering the international community had to move quickly to deliver all the pledges of aid made to his country.
More delays, he warned, would further destabilise the nation and even threaten global security.
Meanwhile in London, an Anglo-American non-government organisation calling itself the "Iraq Body Count" released its latest tally of deaths in Iraq.
Drawing figures from media reports, the group said that 25,000 Iraqis have been killed since the US-led invasion in March 2003.
However, commentators have questioned the group's claim that only nine percent of those deaths have been caused by insurgents.
TONY EASTLEY: Mark Tamhane reporting
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1418416.htm
Reporter: Mark Tamhane
TONY EASTLEY: While the US President and the Prime Minister were pledging to stay the course in Iraq, the troubled country was experiencing one of its most bloody days since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
At least 37 Iraqis were killed across the country, and in a setback for Iraq's political development, three of those gunned down were leaders of the Sunni community involved in drafting a new constitution.
Mark Tamhane reports the political assassinations come as neighbouring countries are expressing increasing concern about the security situation in Iraq.
MARK TAMHANE: The three men were gunned down as they left a restaurant in central Baghdad's Karrada district. Sheikh Mujbil al-Sheikh Isa and Dhamin Hussein Ileywi were Sunni representatives on the 71-member constitutional committee. The third man, Aziz Ibrahim, has been described as a close aide.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the insurgent group calling itself "al-Qaeda in Iraq", linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has previously pledged to kill Sunnis seen to be cooperating with the US-led coalition.
The Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Hajim al-Hassani condemned the killings.
HAJIM AL-HASSANI (translated): First of all we sent our condolence to the families of those brothers and we send our condolence to the Iraqi people.
We reject such an action and vehemently condemned it and those who committed such acts were aiming at sparking a sectarian division in Iraq and we will not allow such practices.
MARK TAMHANE: The assassinations came just hours after Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, announced that "good progress" was being made in drafting the constitution.
The document, which is due to be unveiled next month, and put to a referendum for approval later this year, is seen as a key plank in balancing the competing interests of the three major groups that make up Iraq – Sunni Arabs, Shi'ites and Kurds.Sunnis have been reluctant to be drawn into the constitutional process, and the killings seem to be a clear attempt to weaken the involvement of the nation's second largest bloc in Iraq's political future.
The continuing attacks by insurgents are also beginning to unnerve Iraq's neighbours.
Phrases such as "civil war" have largely been avoided by leaders in pro-western Jordan.
But Crown Prince Hassan wasn't mincing his words when he spoke overnight to the BBC.
PRINCE HASSAN: Civil war has actually started in Iraq and I don't think there's any other way of putting it.
We are basically seeing a conflict between balkanisation and polarity versus pluralism, which I think we all need.
I think what is happening is that Iraq is being divided into fragmentations – north, centre and south.
MARK TAMHANE: Crown Prince's Hassan's comments came as a donor conference for Iraq was getting underway at a Jordanian resort on the Dead Sea.
Iraq's Planning Minister told the gathering the international community had to move quickly to deliver all the pledges of aid made to his country.
More delays, he warned, would further destabilise the nation and even threaten global security.
Meanwhile in London, an Anglo-American non-government organisation calling itself the "Iraq Body Count" released its latest tally of deaths in Iraq.
Drawing figures from media reports, the group said that 25,000 Iraqis have been killed since the US-led invasion in March 2003.
However, commentators have questioned the group's claim that only nine percent of those deaths have been caused by insurgents.
TONY EASTLEY: Mark Tamhane reporting
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1418416.htm
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