Iraqi Constitution News
 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171942,00.html

Iraqi Negotiators Say Deal Reached on Constitution
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi negotiators reached a breakthrough deal on the constitution Tuesday and at least one Sunni Arab party said it would now urge its followers to approve the charter in this weekend's referendum.

Under the deal, the two sides agreed that a commission would be set up to consider amendments to the charter that would then be put to a vote in parliament and then submitted to a new referendum next year.

The agreement would allow the Sunnis to try to amend the constitution to reduce the autonomous powers that Shiites and Kurds would have under the federal system created by the charter, negotiators said.

It boosts the chances for a constitution that Shiite and Kurdish leaders support and the United States has been eager to see approved in Saturday's vote to avert months more of political turmoil, delaying plans to start a withdrawal of U.S. forces.

U.S. officials have pushed the three days of negotiations between Shiite and Kurdish leaders in the government and Sunni Arab officials, that concluded with marathon talks at the house of President Jalal Talabani late Tuesday.

A top Sunni negotiator, Ayad al-Samarraie of the Iraqi Islamic Party, said the measure would allow it to "stop the campaign rejecting the constitution and we will call on Sunni Arabs to vote yes." It was unclear if parliament would take a formal vote on the new deal with some lawmakers saying that measure may be read to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Some other major Sunni parties were not present at the negotiations and it was not clear if they too would be willing to reverse their "no" campaigns.

The Sunni-led insurgents have demanded a boycott of the election and threatened those who would vote.

The announcement was the first break in the ranks of Sunni Arab leaders, who have been campaigning hard to defeat the constitution at the polls.

Ali al-Dabagh, a Shiite negotiator, said the sides agreed on four additions to the constitution that will be voted on Saturday that will allow for future amendments.

The central addition allows the next parliament, which will be formed in Dec. 15 elections, to form the commission that will have four months to consider changes to the constitution. The changes would be approved by the entire parliament, then a referendum would be held two months later.

Sunni Arabs are hoping to have a stronger representation in the next parliament and want to make major amendments to the constitution, particularly to water down the provisions for federalism, which Shiites and Kurds strongly support.

The other additions include a statement stressing Iraqi unity and another states that the Arabic language should be used in the Kurdistan region, along with Kurdish — issues important to the Sunni Arabs. The fourth underlines that former members of Saddam Hussein's ousted, Sunni-led Baath Party will only be prosecuted if they committed crimes.

Some moderate Sunni leaders once had positions in the Baath Party and fear being barred from politics by the De-Baathification process outlined in the constitution.

"The leaders of the political blocs have approved these additions and amendments and tomorrow they will be announced (read) to the national assembly," al-Dabagh said.

The vote is tomorrow...
 

Baghdad Blackout Caused by Sabotage
Friday, October 14, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Insurgents sabotaged power lines, knocking out electricity across Baghdad area Friday and plunging the capital into darkness on the eve of a landmark vote on a constitution aimed at defining democracy in a nation once ruled by Saddam Hussein.

For most of the day, Iraqis were hunkered down in their homes, with the streets of the Iraqi capital almost empty hours before a 10 p.m. curfew and the country sealed off from the outside world as borders and airports were closed for Saturday's referendum.

The approximately 140-article charter — hammered out after months of bitter negotiations — is supported by a Shiite-Kurdish majority but has split Sunni Arab ranks after last-minute amendments designed to win support among the disaffected minority.

In Friday sermons across the nation, the message from Shiite pulpits was an unequivocal "yes," but it was not so clear-cut in Sunni Arab mosques — varying from "yes," "no" and "vote your conscience."

Insurgents, meanwhile, detonated a bomb outside the Sunni Islamic Party's office in central Baghdad, then set fire to the party's main office in Fallujah. Nobody was injured in what were apparently a symbolic attacks against that group's recent decision to support the charter.

Let's see if there is a surge in attacks...:munchin

Take care.

FYI, some Kurds have returned home from Sweden. Yesterday's news had a reportage about them, based on a reporter's traveling with this family to northern Iraq.

Although very likely influenced - if not for showing it at all, then at least the length - by the pro-Swedish sentiments showed, such as the naming of a school after Anna Lindh, it showed some real progress in the area. One of the main characters is a teacher and spoke briefly about differences in teaching and connected that to the different society, while noting that he had been elected to be educational advisor for the area (or similar).

They talked about democracy, traditions and experience. They were calm and hopeful, but pointed to the differences and explained briefly that it's a long road ahead. In the middle they suggested that they were bringing a part of the Swedish thinking over there.

They interviewed the family's two daughters who had grown up in Sweden but had followed them there, they were of mixed emotions.

The son of the family stayed in Sweden.

Martin

Thankfully, not so much.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051015/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

I never base my "opinion" on one source...

Take a look here.;)

http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx

Stay safe!

Informative, thanks Guy. You stay safe!

RIP Soldiers...
 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,172393,00.html

Five GIs Killed During Vote

Sunday, October 16, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Five U.S. Army soldiers participating in a combat operation were killed by a roadside bomb west of Baghdad during Iraq's constitutional referendum, the military said Sunday.

Saturday's explosion hit the soldiers' vehicle in the mostly Sunni Arab city of Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, where few Iraqis were believed to have voted in the referendum, the military said.

Though insurgent attacks were few in most of the country on voting day, Ramadi — a stronghold for insurgents — experienced violence. Six mortar rounds hit the Hall of Sports, a facility being used as a voting center, then clashes erupted between gunmen and U.S. troops in the city's center.

The five soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Marine Division. At least 1,975 members of the U.S. military have died since the war began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

People think because you have an election/holiday/celebration/wedding or whatever...SOBs stop shooting or blowing shit up.

If the media says..."any fuckin thing good!":rolleyes: I'm lookin for the worse shit out there to happen.:D

Stay safe and take care.

So are they. It's nearly impossible to read about anything related to Iraq without hearing about everyone that died that day and what the US death toll is up to.

And lately they've been counting down to the 2000th KIA.

Sick really...

Stay safe out there Guy,
--Aric

Take a close look at the Kurds...

Take care.

Referendum
 

This is from my private journal for 15 Oct. Thought you guys might be interested. I've edited it a bit for opsec.... if there are any remaining concerns about that please PM me.

-Cheers!

Edit: (thanks ;) )


I'll be the first to admit that after weeks of reading
nothing but intelligence reports on insurgents that
had vowed to turn the referendum into a bloodbath, we
rolled out the gate this morning expecting world war
III. We don't usually "patrol." When we drive out in
our guntrucks, its usually with a specific and limited
objective in mind, and almost exclusively at night.
We usually leave patrols to the infantry. But today we'd
offered to pitch in and help expand the "presence" on
the streets, in order to deter would-be trouble
makers. The whole team was pretty wound up, expecting
to be blown up at any minute. Mouths were dry, and
knuckles were white around weapon grips.

And then a funny thing happened.

The moment we came near the first polling station, our
"combat patrol" turned into a parade.

The city has been completely closed off to
non-official vehicle traffic for the past few days,
and most businesses were closed for today at least.
The weather was beautiful: clear and relatively cool.
The streets filled with families in their finest
clothes, and children playing soccer in the streets.
The moment the children caught sight of us,
pandemonium broke loose as they chased after us
yelling "hey mister!" and "America good!" One clever
little fellow, all of 8 years old, even hollered
"Whassup my nigga!" Some people walked the streets
caped in Iraqi or Kurdish flags, while children waved
miniature versions of the flags along with printed
copies of the constitution that were as big as their
young bodies, and that they almost certainly couldn''t
read yet.

While the adults were less demonstrative than the
children, every few feet another man or woman fresh
from voting would hold up an ink stained index finger,
and then transition to a "thumbs up," with a smile and
obvious pride.

This was the pattern that was to be repeated
throughout the city this morning. We drove through
the streets feeling like visiting royalty, even in
some neighborhoods in which friendliness toward
Americans is far from customary. Another positive
sign: everywhere today we saw Iraqi police and
soldiers walking bare faced among the people.
Usually, they fear the insurgency so much that most
wear ski masks to protect their identities. Today,
they walked openly among the people, and generally
basked in the well wishes and pride of the public at
large.

We stopped to let our Iraqi interpreters cast their
ballots, but we could not get closer than a block from
the actual polling site due to the immense crowds of
happy voters. ***** and I hopped down to escort the
'terps to the school, with its makeshift voting
booths. We walked through the crowds followed by no
less than 50 children, who took turns mustering the
courage to run up and shake our hands or flash a
"thumbs up." At the polling site, a portly election
official patted down male voters for weapons.
Apologetically, he informed us that we could not bring
our rifles, pistols, grenades, and other assorted
explosives inside the polling station. "Iraqi law,"
he said. We found this both amusing and immensely
heartening. We told him that we would wait outside
while our 'terps voted. "But you're not going to
vote?" he asked disappointedly. "No," we replied,
"that's just for Iraqis." The official, who obviously had
a looser grasp on eligability requirements than weapons
policy, responded "but we are brothers!"

Obviously, there are many parts of this country in
which public sentiment is very different. Even here,
many days we all despair that our work and sacrifices
mean anything. And of course, the people in our
intelligence reports ARE out there in the city, even
if they often fail to bring about the carnage and
destruction that is their aim.

But on this "distinguished" day, as one of our 'terps
called it, my team saw a whole lot of people who
seemed genuinely proud to be Iraqi, and excited to
have a chance to be heard.

I can think of a few people who were pretty proud to
be Americans, too.

Great news Ender! Thanks for a frontline account. Keep your powder dry.........and stay safe!

Great post, Ender. I would have loved to see that "parade."

--Aric

Thanks sharing your thoughts on your experience. Post more if you have the time. :lifter