WAR: Iraq Sunnis May Abandon Vote Boycott Call

The Association of Muslim Scholars, one of the most influential Sunni groups, has stated that it will abandon its calls for a boycott of the elections if the U.S. provides a timetable outlining when it will leave Iraq. The U.S. embassy has confirmed this, however experts consider it unlikely that the U.S. would give such a time table.



The Sunni�s have everything to lose by not participating and perhaps they are rethinking their hard line on boycotting the election. However, if they choose not to participate, then that is their right under a democratic system. However, they should not come crying to the U.N. about their lack of representation in what would become an all Shiite government.

Iraq's most influential Sunni group will abandon its call for a boycott of Jan. 30 elections if the United States gives a timetable for withdrawing multinational forces

I doubt they are going to get a timeline they would be happy with if they are given one at all.
Bush & Co. have repeatedly said that they will not give a timetable for a pull out.

The NBC report below says military officials think it will be 4 to 5 years before troops can start coming home.

2005-01-07 Violence grows in Iraq (NBC).asf (streaming media)

I really dont see this election being sucsessfull at all. Even if the Sunni's dont bycot anymore. With an aparently 200,000 strong insurgent force, they have more than enough people to send one suicide bomber to every polling station in Iraq. It will make them look bad to the pro-american Iraq's (well.. however many of them are left) but it will sure as hell ruin the elections.

I tell you what, even if the elections goes on without the Sunnis, the Shiites will ask US to take a hike after the elections.

Then you bet that the civil unrest between the Sunnis and Shiites will really start to get going.

If it somebody that can stop the bombings and attacks in Iraq it will be an unify Sunni and Shiite movement but the US will have to leave that country and submit to the wishes of the people of Iraq, and we know that Bush business interest will never allowed that and neither Chaney's.

To much money has been spend on the future of Iraq by private companies, they will rather see the decimation of their citizens and the destruction of that country that to allowed their people to rule on their own.

"abandon vote boycott' is what the religious leaders are now saying.
Bet UBL is ticked! Just a few weeks ago he called for Iraqis to boycott
the elections. Now the religious leaders are saying just the opposite.
Betchya' he is feeling about an inch tall these days. No one is
listening to him.

Originally posted by FredT
The Association of Muslim Scholars, one of the most influential Sunni groups, has stated that it will abandon its calls for a boycott of the elections if the U.S. provides a timetable outlining when it will leave Iraq. The U.S. embassy has confirmed this, however experts consider it unlikely that the U.S. would give such a time table.

The US should leave as soon as the Iraqi government requests it leaves. What would the purpose of having a calender date penciled in?

But if they want one, give them one. If the elections have large participation, then the US has accomplished a large part of its mission there. It doesn't need to stay until there is no violence, all there needs to be is a popularly elected government there, then the US can and should leave.

Its tempting to say that the US should stay to stabilize the country and to also keep pressure on Iran and Syria. But the greater goal of democratic revolution in the middle east is far more important than the compartively small benefit of having a mass of troops,on the border, especially when one considers how quickly troops were sent into iraq in the first place.

The Sunni�s have everything to lose by not participating and perhaps they are rethinking their hard line on boycotting the election. However, if they choose not to participate, then that is their right under a democratic system.

Its much different than in a regular election. They aren't choosing the leaders of the state for the short term, they are electing representatives to create the actual form of government. Its imperative that there be wide enough participation to ensure legitimacy for the new government. Non participation by the Sunnis would be like virginia not sending representatives to the american Constitutional Congress.

However, they should not come crying to the U.N. about their lack of representation in what would become an all Shiite government.

Any group not participating in the election will be outside the government, not represented in it, and be at complete odds with it in struggle for domination. I suspect that the Sunnis will put two and two together and vote, but this 'scholars association' not participating might mean that their line of thought will not be represented in the new government, and there will have to be some sort of power struggle.

The Sunnis knew damn well that the US would not give them a timetable. So their offer was nothing more than a political ploy, designed to show the US as the recalcitrant occupier, and will be used as an excuse for more civil strife.

The US will call the Sunni's bluff and use it as an excuse to continue the occupation.

Best bet: Get with the program, Sunnis. Get your candidates in there before it is too late, otherwise you're looking at another ten years of civil war.