Sistani on board with National Pact Project in Iraq

It's always nice to hear rumblings that might turn into palpably positive political happenings in Iraq.

Baghdad, Sept 27, (VOI) - Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said on Thursday that he discussed the National Pact Project and a number of political issues during his meeting with top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani at his house in Najaf, noting that Sistani blessed the project.
(Aswat Aliraq)

What is this "National Pact Project," you ask?

The 25-principle-initiative has addressed basic issues that might lead to ending the deterioration in Iraq according to the Islamic Party Secretary-General al-Hashemi.
The National Pact called for "Equality of all Iraqis before the law, condemnation of killing based on identity, shunning extremism, and rejecting foreign interference in Iraqi affairs."
The initiative, which also called to achieve national reconciliation, recognized resistance as "a right of all occupied nations," indicating that "terror is not considered resistance."
The Islamic Party is one of three components that constituted the Sunni Accordance Front, which quit the Iraqi government two months ago after it accused the government of "closing the door to any true reforms."

I'm not so hyped about the recognition of resistance as a "right of all occupied nations." The Iraqi government says it wants the U.S. troops to keep helping out. Is it consistent to call invited troops an occupation force?

That language, I think, implies a reluctance to recognize the legitimacy of the current Iraqi government.

Iraqis, if you want the U.S. troops to leave then stop killing each other and stop attacking U.S. troops. Stabilize your country and there's no need for the U.S. to keep troops there (not counting forward positioning as a check on Iran).


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Maliki getting things done at last?

Najaf, Sept 5, (VOI)- Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday spoke of a possible formation of a new government after meeting the top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani in Najaf.

"I acquainted Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani with latest political developments after visiting
some neighboring countries and signing the four and five-party agreements with other political blocs," Maliki told a news conference in Najaf following his meeting with Sistani.
The Prime Minister, who arrived on Wednesday in the Shiite sacred city of Najaf, said "Ayatollah al-Sistani focused during the meeting on rendering the political process in the country a success and on regaining security and providing citizens with services."
"Ayatollah al-Sistani called for confronting sectarianism advocates as Muslims of all sects are bothers without any discrimination," Maliki noted.
(Aswat Aliraq)

That wascally Prime Minister al-Maliki has turned into a real go-getter over the summer. While Iraq's parliament took a month off, he apparently went schmoozing with the various factions and got them together for an agreement.

One of the keys here, I think, is the way the Iraqi population has revealed (in polls) its willingness to welcome a unified "secular" government (secular in the sense that it remains independent of the Islamic sects). Al-Sistani's support, if sincere, should certainly help the effort. The biggest key, of course, is the nature of the new government.