Iraq Update - More From The Front

This from The Fourth Rail -

March 10, 2006
Iraq Update
Political developments, where’s the civil war, and Operation Tribal Chivalry launched in Anbar - by tribal sheikhs?

President Talibani has pushed the political process forward by calling for the new parliament to convene on March 19, and the contentious debate over the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance's choice of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari will come to a head. A majority of the Parliament, a coalition of the Kurdish parties, the Sunnis and the secular party of Allawi rejects Jaafari's selection. And while this does not get much attention, there is a significant element of the UIA which dislikes the selection of Jaafari, as they feel he will beholden to Muqtada Sadr, whose party provide thirty votes to allow Jaafari to win a narrow 64-63 vote within the UIA selection process.

General John Abizaid, the CENTCOM commander, warns of an increase in sectarian violence, but believes the threat of civil war, while still possible, is capable of being contained by Iraqi security forces, "There's no doubt that the sectarian tensions are higher than we've seen. And it is of great concern to all of us. It's my belief that the security situation in the country, while changing in its nature from insurgency toward sectarian violence, is controllable by Iraqi security forces and multi-national forces." It should be remembered that sectarian violence is not civil war, and the Middle East and the greater Islamic world is rife with such violence. Countries such as Nigeria, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, thailand and others suffer from such sectarian strife.

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