Iraqi parliament to meet on Sunday, but no agreement yet on premier
Sunnis, secular Shi'ites and Kurds are against confirming Jaafari. Various Sunni tribes in the north "declare war" on Al Qaeda .
Baghdad (AsiaNews/Agencies) Iraq's parliament will meet for the first time on Sunday following last December's elections, but factions continue to disagree on the name of the future prime minister, with Kurds, secular Shi'ites and Sunnis proposing a national unity government against the idea of a new mandate for Ibrhim Al Jaafari who is backed by the Shi'ite coalition that won elections.
Another fact that would seem to signal a step toward national unity is statements by various tribes in Hawija, 220 kilometres north of Baghdad, one of the bastions of Sunni insurgence, which have "declared war" on Al Zarqawi, Al Qaeda leader in Iraq. This gesture was prompted by the killing of various clan leaders and members. "We shall fight all those who commit such attacks, notably Al Qaeda," said one leader of the powerful Jubur tribe. "It is a terror campaign against our leaders. Our people are being killed, kidnapped and terrorized. We cannot accept this. The resistance opposes the occupation and is an Iraqi affair."
While the bloodbath continues in Iraq today too, 5 car bombs exploded in various parts of the country killing at least 5 people Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who today announced the convocation of Parliament, sent one of his close aides, Berhem Saleh, to meet with Shi'ite Great Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani to explain the opposition to Jaafari of other groups. "We reject Jaafari," Saleh explained, "because we believe that Iraq needs a government of national unity and new faces." Saleh said Sistani "heard our arguments and underlined the need for continuing dialogue with other Iraqi factions."
Saleh also meet with radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, one of Jaafari's main backers. "Sadr insisted on national unity and on consolidating the bonds between Iraqis," Saleh explained, adding however that Sadr said he would continue to support Jaafari.
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