Sunni bloc rejoins Iraqi cabinet
- added July 19, 2008
- 16 responses
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- kushan
- added this
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The main Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq has rejoined the Shia-led government, in a significant lift for Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.
The return of six ministers from the Accordance Front to the cabinet was approved by lawmakers.
The Sunni bloc withdrew almost a year ago following a row over power-sharing.
A spokesman for the Accordance Front said its return was a significant step forward for political reform in the predominantly Shia country.
The return of six ministers from the Accordance Front to the cabinet was approved by lawmakers.
The Sunni bloc withdrew almost a year ago following a row over power-sharing.
A spokesman for the Accordance Front said its return was a significant step forward for political reform in the predominantly Shia country.
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This sounds like a positive step forward in building a true democracy in this war-shattered country ...
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- mischabarrett
- 2 months ago
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The main Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq has rejoined the Shia-led government, in what correspondents called an important step for national reconciliation.
The return of six ministers from the Accordance Front to the cabinet was approved by lawmakers.
The Sunni bloc withdrew almost a year ago following a row over power-sharing.
A spokesman for the Accord Front said its return was "a real step forward for political reform" in the predominantly Shia country.
The spokesman, Salim al-Joubouri, added that the bloc's approved candidates would attend the next cabinet meeting.
Most of them are new faces nominated by the party.
Their return is especially significant ahead of provincial elections that are expected later this year, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says.
Crackdown on militants
The move is also a sign of changed and considerably improved times, our correspondent says. -
The Americans are breaking the wall of silence and talking to the Iranians as well. Have we just taken a left down Peace Avenue?-
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- phillyharper
- 2 months ago
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Could this development have occurred because citizens of Iraq realize the clock is ticking? U.S. troops won't be there to keep the 'peace' forever.
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- bishopobispo
- 2 months ago
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i use sunni bloc every time i go to the beach.
don't want to get burned. -
Question is how many of the mainstream media will cover this story?
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- friendfire
- 2 months ago
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So if we managed political reconcilliation we need to stay why?
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Progress.
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Mailiki has shown his willingness to stand up to Shia factions in Basra, funded by Iran in the same basic way his Islamic Dawa party has received funds from Iran, superficial rhetorical backing included. But that military campaign waged heavily by the Iraqi Army was only a ploy to prove to the Sunni that he is serious about this so-called Federation called Iraq. It is not that Sadr has a ridiculous ideology; he's just against the occupation. Sadr is no "firebrand" cleric; he has inherited this downtrodden Shia political mantle from his father and uncle, but he has now been somewhat marginalized. The truth is that he has much more public support than Maliki in Iraq. But this move, which I guess brings the third component to the tri-faction position of President back into the fold in the form of Tariq al-Hashemi, is still positive. It seems to be hinged upon the media buzz surrounding supposed "horizons" being chalked up by both Iraq and Bush. Not a timetable though, even though 16 months sounds good to Maliki. Sounds good to Obama as well. (and who's the national security candidate again?). The overall reduction in violence seems to have informed the Sunni bloc's decision as well, especially in light of the last two weeks showing a spike in suicide attacks as compared to the last two months. They may feel as if their is sufficient Sunni consolidation, from Anbar to the currently under siege Diyala, to throw the remaining "freedom fighters" and Al-Qaeda operatives under the bus. This has to be positive though for the declaration of complete Iraqi sovereignty that seems to be in the works both by this administration and Maliki. This is no "victory" mind you; that term is undefinable in this situation.
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After years of most of you saying that victory is impossible.
Can i hear a "maybe" we can win -
No. Define win. Is it the way Bush initially described it as a democratic and free Iraq? Is it a completion of the benchmarks set out the beginning of the surge that includes political reconciliation? If it is, then we are not there totally. Only nine of the eighteen benchmarks have been met at my last count. Iraqi brigades have shown competence and organization. The Sunni bloc just rejoined the cabinet, but Sunni-Shia distrust runs rampant. Maliki seems to be the more effective autocratic despot consolidating power every day, as if al-Sadr isn't paid by the same regime Maliki gets money from. But they, the government and the army, cannot hold it together yet, by everyone's account. I can admit that we are going in the right direction. A stable democratic, yet factionally dominated, Iraq can exist. But we are far from it. Victory is just a word.
Plus counterinsurgency is never definably won or lost. It takes years to root out rogue elements in a lawless society, especially when it was broken at the hands of the dominant world power. We will never win when Americans die at war. Realignment and emergence are possible consequences of war, but they are never clearly a win or clearly a loss. I defy you to treat war so one dimensionally.
Am I not supporting the troops enough for ya or something?? -
i didnt say you were not supporting the troops.
But there is a winner and loser in everything. -
Why do you think that? explain yourself.
In my experience, sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win, you really lose. (Thank you to Rosie Perez, 'White Men Can't Jump.')
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