AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT THE WAR WAS ABOUT:

Kurds: Iraq charter to meet deadline without Sunnis (Daily Star, August 15, 2005)

Iraqi leaders held last-ditch meetings to draft a constitution ahead of Monday's deadline as members of the panel suggested a compromise charter could be ready on time even without Sunni approval. With consensus needed to avoid a delay of the political process, Iraq's Kurdish and Shiite power brokers seemed ready to strike a compromise deal without the Sunnis on board.

"We can still prepare the draft without the Sunnis," Kurdish constitution panelist Mahmoud Othman told AFP.

"All the groups elected in the national assembly can come together and prepare the draft by Monday evening."

Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari told reporters he was "optimistic" about an agreement, while his spokesman and adviser, Laith Kubba, told CNN: "From what I hear, there is an agreement and the document will be submitted on time."

It wouldn't be surprising if the final agreement is reached without the Sunni--it was after all the point of the war that a minority Sunni regime not be allowed to oppress the Shi'ite majority in the South and the Kurdish majority in the north, but it would be disappointing and a huge mistake for the Sunni themselves.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 14, 2005 4:02 PM