Iraq reconciliation talks hit by walkouts (Sunni-Shi'ite reconciliation conference falls apart)

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, March 18 (Reuters) - A conference to reconcile Iraq's rival political parties fell apart almost as soon as it began on Tuesday, with influential Sunni and Shi'ite blocs pulling out in protest. Hundreds of politicians gathered for the conference a day after U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, on a visit marking the fifth anniversary of the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion, hailed what he called "phenomenal" political and security improvements.

The war has cost the United States $500 billion since it began. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed and millions displaced. Almost 4,000 U.S. soldiers have also been killed in the war, a major issue in November's U.S. presidential election.

The boycott by the Sunni Arab Accordance Front, the Shi'ite bloc led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and smaller groups underlined that while Iraq is no longer on the verge of a sectarian civil war, there are still deep divisions between Iraq's main sects.

Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused the groups of seeking to damage Iraq's reconciliation efforts.

"We seriously regret that others will only stand watching, and others try to bring down political progress and hamper the work of the government at a time when their patriotic duty requires them to help the government," he said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18673234.htm

[biglefthander]

1. These people will never get the point...

...without slaughtering each other to create a final solution.

So why do we leave our troops there playing referee? Time to get out and let the Sunnis and Shiites settle their differences so their country can move forward. Our presence there only delays the inevitable bloodbath by throwing our own troops into the meatgrinder. After the Sunnis win they can exterminate Al-Qaeda.

We are only there to preserve the sweetheart oil leases we extracted from their puppet government. Blood for oil.

[aquart]

3. "These people"? "Their country"?

Maybe they don't see the same country that you do.

[biglefthander]

8. yes...

These people...The Iraqis, Sunni and Shiite

Their country...Iraq

Something too complex there?

[aquart]

2. Surprise.

[jayfish]

4. See, The McSame Surge Is Working. -NT-

Jay

[damntexdem]

5. Ah, the golden touch of Cheney and the Bushistas.

Helped along this weekend by McCain.

;-)

[bushmeister0]

6. "while Iraq is no longer on the verge of a sectarian civil war"?

That's quite a leap. It's already in the midst of a civil war, has been since Jan. of '06. Both sides are just a little worn out after a full year of all out war. Al-Sadr is hanging low for a while to focus on his direct religious rivals in Sciri, and the Sunnis have decided to play nice with us for a while, long enough to recover from 4 years of fighting us and one year of fighting us AND the Shiites.

Once they've re-tooled they'll be back and all the retnal scans and 12 ft. blast walls we've got will be unable to stop them from getting their kill on with the Shiites. Luckily, now that we've help both sides divy up Baghdad into clear, distinct ethnic districts, the next part of the civil war will be a lot less messy. At least, we'll know which side it fighting which beased on location.

[bushmeister0]

7. "while Iraq is no longer on the verge of a sectarian civil war"?

That's quite a leap. It's already in the midst of a civil war, has been since Jan. of '06. Both sides are just a little worn out after a full year of all out war. Al-Sadr is hanging low for a while to focus on his direct religious rivals in Sciri, and the Sunnis have decided to play nice with us for a while, long enough to recover from 4 years of fighting us and one year of fighting us AND the Shiites.

Once they've re-tooled they'll be back and all the retnal scans and 12 ft. blast walls we've got will be unable to stop them from getting their kill on with the Shiites. Luckily, now that we've help both sides divy up Baghdad into clear, distinct ethnic districts, the next part of the civil war will be a lot less messy. At least, we'll know which side it fighting which beased on location.