Iraqi reconciliation plan unveiled
Iraqi reconciliation plan unveiled
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Sunday, 25, Jun 2006 08:13
The prime minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, has unveiled a new peace plan that aims to reconcile warring factions within the troubled country.
Today's proposals seek to resolve, or at the very least address, tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslims and to disarm and curb the actions of militia groups.
The reconciliation plan also sets out a clearer timetable for US-led coalition troops to withdraw and provides a potential olive branch for members of Saddam Hussein's Baath regime, forced into effective internal exile since Baghdad fell in 2003.
Mr Maliki, himself a Shia politician, only assumed office last month, and analysts claim that while the prime minister is attempting to open relations with as many disparate groups as possible, his firm stance of no talks with organisations such as al-Qaida may limit the overall effectiveness of the plan.
But Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, today claimed: "This initiative is aimed at rejectionists who spread discord and fear through the ranks of the Iraqi people and prevent progress and rebuilding and security and peace."
Mr Maliki was initially elected on a pledge to set a date for US-led coalition troops to withdraw within 18 months, and today's plan unveils a more formal timetable by way of a build-up of Iraq's own army.
While the decision to reach out to former Baath members is controversial, it means that an influential aspect of Iraqi society can contribute and help fund the country's renewal.