seen this? -- A Pan-Iraqi Pact on Muqtada Al-Sadr's Initiative

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

As part of his effort to influence the political forces in Iraq prior to the forthcoming parliamentary election, at the end of November Muqtada al-Sadr had his supporters distribute the draft of a "Pact of Honor," and called on Iraqi parties to discuss and collectively adopt it at a conference to be organized before the election.

This conference was actually held on Thursday, December 8, in al-Kadhimiya (North of Baghdad). Despite extensive search, I found it only reported in a relatively short article in today's Al-Hayat and in dispatches from the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA). There is legitimate ground to suspect that this media blackout has political significance; indeed most initiatives by the Sadrist current are hardly reported by the dominant media, even when they consist of important mass demonstrations (like those organized yesterday in Southern Iraq against British troops).

In the case of the recent conference, the vast array of forces that were represented and that signed the "Pact of Honor" is in itself already worthy of attention. Aside from the Sadrists, chiefly represented by their MPs, those represented and who signed the document included: SCIRI, al-Daawa (al-Jaafari's personal representative even apologized in his name for his absence due to his traveling outside of Iraq), and the Iraqi Concord Front (the major Sunni electoral alliance in the forthcoming election), to name but the most prominent of a long list of organizations, along with several tribal chiefs, unions and other social associations, members of the De-Ba'athification Committee and a few government officials. Ahmad Chalabi -- who definitely deserves to be called "The Transformer" -- attended in person and signed the document in the name of his group. It seems that the Association of Muslim Scholars did not attend, as its name is not mentioned in any of the two sources.

(...)

The conference established a committee that is responsible for following up the implementation of the resolutions and reporting on it after six months.

http://www.juancole.com/2005/12/guest-editorial-achcar-on-sadr.html

Bloody 4-para rule -- from Pepe Escobar in today's "Asia Times":

"Among the crucial points of the pact are: withdrawal of the occupiers and setting of an objective timetable for their withdrawal from Iraq; elimination of all the consequences of their presence, including any bases for them in the country, while working seriously for the building of (Iraqi) security institutions and military forces within a defined schedule; no more immunity for the occupation troops; no relations whatsoever with Israel; a condemnation of terrorism ("We condemn terrorism and acts of violence, killing, abducting and expulsion aimed at innocent citizens for sectarian reasons."); a condemnation of the Ba'ath Party as "a terrorist organization" and an urge "to speed up the trial of overthrown president Saddam Hussein"; and a decision to "postpone the implementation of the disputed principle of federalism"."

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GL15Ak03.html

(A slight aside - the documentary "Iraq: The Reckoning" revealed that the US/Iraqi police have let al-Sadr's militia (the Mahdi Army) take control over al-Sadr City, meting out their own brand of justice. Also the US have made an agreement with al-Sadr to not allow his arrest for his role in the killing of Ayatollah al-Khoi.

stream/download it from: http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/11/1785055.php )

[enigma000]

1. Sunnis condemning terrorism and the Ba'ath Party ?

And pushing for the acceleration of Saddam's trial? Good news indeed.