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 [myiston] Their clout rising, blogs are courted by Washingto...: Their clout rising, blogs are courted by Washington's elite Political blogs aren't just reacting to news anymore - they're making it. A new Sunni strategy in Iraq After failing to defeat Iraq's charter, SunniArab parties are merging - with an anti-US agenda.

 [Don Singleton] A Time for Politics: WaPo reported For weeks before Iraq's constitutional referendum this month, Iraqi guerrilla Abu Theeb traveled the countryside just north of Baghdad, stopping at as many Sunni Arab houses and villages as he could. Each time, his message to the farmers and tradesmen he met was the same: Members of the disgruntled Sunni minority should register to vote -- and vote against the constitution.

[The Houston Conservative] More Disappointing News for Democrats and MSM: NORTH OF BAGHDAD -- For weeks before Iraq's constitutional referendum this month, Iraqi guerrilla Abu Theeb traveled the countryside just north of Baghdad, stopping at as many Sunni Arab houses and villages as he could. Each time, his message to the farmers and tradesmen he met was the same: Members of the disgruntled Sunni minority should register to vote -- and vote against the constitution.

[Captain's Quarters] What Victory Against Terror Looks Like: Theeb has kidnapped perceived collaborators, attacked Americans throughout Iraq, and at one time worked within the Zarqawi network -- and although he supports the main aims of the twin insurgencies, he has broken with the Islamists over their tactics and their religious fanaticism. His family has paid a high price for their violent opposition to the occupation, with several of them dead, including one who killed himself accidentally while building IEDs.

 [wandering hillbilly] pinions of buddy don: good news!: For weeks before Iraq's constitutional referendum this month, Iraqi guerrilla Abu Theeb traveled the countryside just north of Baghdad, stopping at as many Sunni Arab houses and villages as he could. Each time, his message to the farmers and tradesmen he met was the same: Members of the disgruntled Sunni minority should register to vote -- and vote against the constitution.

[ Informed Comment] Galbraith on Iraqi Army, Partition Former Ambassa...: But, I have talked to several prominent Shiite politicians who do say that they might consider separation if Iraq continues to deteriorate and if there is no accomodation with the Sunni Arabs. The "three state soluton" (plus Baghdad as a federal capital) may be the outcome in the context of a federation, but it is not necessarily precursor to the three independent countries.

[SyriaComment.com] Bolton: The Bull in the Mosaic Shop: Not that we are or should be enamoured of the Syrian leadership -- but until and unless a viable alternative is ready to replace the Assad dynasty, anything other than a soft landing for the rapidly faltering regime would have severe repercussions on the stability of the entire region. Should the Syrian leadership implode or, worse yet, if the United States and its allies should launch military strikes against it, the ensuing anarchy and the possibilities of a sectarian/tribal civil war or the emergence of a Sunni fundamentalist-led regime would be catastrophic for all the region's countries, friend and foe alike.

[Juancole.com] Informed Comment: *Boycotters: The first Sunni-based forces that have defined an attitude toward the constitutional referendum were, of course, for its boycott as a matter of “principle.” They were two: 1) the Ba’ath Party (communiqué of the pan-Arab leadership dated September 9 and communiqué of the Iraqi leadership the same month) calling for a boycott of the referendum to deprive it from any legitimacy (political groups serving as legal facades for the Ba’ath, like the “Supreme Committee of Patriotic Forces-Wahj al-Iraq,” followed suit); and 2) Zarqawi’s al-Qaida branch in Iraq, which did not only warn against any participation in the referendum—from both a “principled” ultra-fundamentalist attitude against any human-made constitution and an anti-occupation stance—but also accompanied its threats with violent actions against those calling for the participation.

[Wordsfromiraq.com] Words From Iraq: Secretary-General Amr Moussa is trying to organize a reconciliation conference among Iraq’s sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunni Arabs, the first major intervention by the Arab League in the country’s relentless bloodshed. But he has faced reluctance from the Shiite and Kurdish leaders who lead the government, who have complained that the league has taken too long to seek a role, resent the league’s past support for Saddam, and are suspicious the mainly Sunni body is biased toward Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority.

Reflected tags on Technorati: Blog, Arab, Middle East, Juan Cole, Iraq Reviews