News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinewar-on-terroriraq2005-constitution — Viewing Item


Iraq security chief warns of civil war without federalism

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-08-19T141557Z_01_MCC951327_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ.xml

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-08-19T141557Z_01_MCC951327_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ.xml

Iraq security chief warns of civil war over federalism
Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:16 PM BST

By Michael Georgy and Luke Baker

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's national security adviser said on Friday Iraq would descend into civil war if federalism was not entrenched in the constitution.

"Without federalism it means that no community interest has been addressed or fulfilled and therefore different communities will try to find and defend and fight for their rights," Mowaffaq al-Rubaie told Reuters in an interview.

"I am worried about that. Yes. Absolutely. With a civil war you can't say 'today we don't have a civil war, tomorrow a civil war erupted'. Civil war creeps into the country very gradually."

But underscoring deep divisions in Iraqi politics, several thousand supporters of a Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr marched through a district of the capital Baghdad denouncing federalism, saying it would rip Iraq apart.

Politicians are struggling to overcome sensitive issues such as federalism to meet an extended August 22 deadline for presenting a draft constitution to parliament.

Kurds want to expand autonomy in their de facto state in the north, some Shi'ites are pushing for their own region in the south, and Sunni Arabs are fiercely opposed to federalism.

January's election boycott left Sunnis with little representation in parliament and, as a result, limited influence in negotiations over the charter.

But Iraq's government, led by Shi'ites and Kurds, wants to draw Sunnis into politics in a bid to defuse the Sunni insurgency so the minority sect has some leverage.

GROWING SHI'TE TENSIONS

Differences emerging among Shi'ites could further complicate efforts to strike a deal.

"Federalism is very good for the Sunnis as well. Just imagine we have three provinces in the (Sunni region) triangle coming together in one region and that region enjoys all the rights of Kurdistan for example," said Rubaie, a member of the Shi'ite Dawa party, part of the ruling coalition.

"It is a federal system we are after and I think this is the only insurance policy for the unity of Iraq."

Supporters of Sadr, who has led two uprisings against U.S. and Iraqi forces, gathered in one of their largest protests in recent months to reject federalism.

"No! No! to division", "Yes! Yes! to unity" chanted the crowds as they marched through the poor Sadr City neighbourhood of northeastern Baghdad and Khadamiya and Bayaa, two other mainly Shi'ite districts.

Facing relentless suicide bombings, assassinations and kidnappings, Iraqi leaders are banking on a constitution and elections planned for December to stabilise the country but sectarian tensions are fracturing politics.

Rubaie shares the view of top Shi'ite leaders like Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who suggested Shi'ites should carve out their own federal region in southern Iraq.

Friday's demonstration seemed to show that many poor, urban Shi'ites -- Sadr's major support base -- disagree with Hakim's vision of a federal Shi'ite state.

"Moqtada al-Sadr's concern is that Iraq must be united, not divided," said Fatah al-Sheikh, a Shi'ite member of parliament who is closely allied to Sadr and led one of the marches.

Sadr has maintained a low profile since his Mehdi Army militia fought U.S. troops in the southern city of Najaf last year.

Sunnis, once dominant under Saddam Hussein, want a central government with tight control over oil resources near Kurdish areas in the north and in the Shi'ite south.

Moslem preachers stepped up a campaign to involve Sunni Arabs in Shi'ite-dominated politics on Friday, telling worshippers it was their duty to vote on Iraq's constitution in an October referendum.

"I call on you to register your names in order to vote over the constitution and in the elections," Abdel-Sattar al-Jumaily told worshippers in Falluja, a Sunni city west of Baghdad.

"We face a big challenge and need votes against the constitution if it does not take into account our Islamic and Arab feelings," said Jumaily, who accused the authorities of conspiring to keep Sunni voter numbers down.



100 thousand shiites protest new constitution
Approved despite 2 sunni prinvinces overwheling no { October 25 2005 }
Arab league says iraq constitution recipe for chaos { August 29 2005 }
Ayatollah urges rejection of draft constitution
Bush calls for democratic federalism in iraq
Constitution distributed to iraqis amid attacks
Constitution encourages private sector ownership
Constitution forces modern market principals in iraq { September 15 2005 }
Fallujah sees high sunni turnout
First voters are prisoners in iraqi detention centers { October 14 2005 }
Iraq attacks down on referendum day
Iraq prepares for constitution vote { October 14 2005 }
Iraq security chief warns of civil war without federalism
Iraqi says constitution is sectarian { October 15 2005 }
Iraqi women alarmed by new constitution
Iraqi women lose most progressive rights in region { July 20 2005 }
New iraq constitution forces american privitization
Nineveh province polling stations closed
Nineveh province sunnis cite voter fraud { October 23 2005 }
October constitution most likely past { October 15 2005 }
Shiite cleric alsadr rejects constitution { January 2006 }
Shiites and kurds back charter sunnies dont
Shiites grab for sunni oil in new iraqi constitution
Shiites push ideas for iraq constitution { July 20 2005 }
Sunnis drop constitution referendum boycott threat
Sunnis party attacked after backing constitution
Sunnis rally against iraq charter { August 26 2005 }
Sunnis rejoin constitution process { July 25 2005 }
Unusual votes spur fraud vote fraud questions
US doesnt oppose islamic law based iraq constitution { August 22 2005 }
Women lose rights given since 1959 in new constitution { July 26 2005 }

Files Listed: 31



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple