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& further into the big Muddy .... Ethnic rivalries and pretentions. Best Andreas Sumerian Undergound Army ... or so ... -------------------------- http://english.daralhayat.com/arab_news/07-2003/Article-20030730-b2eef383-c0 a8-01ed-0054-c0548614756c/story.html Shiites, Turkmen, Assyrians and Yazidis Demand To Be Represented In The Ruling Council Al-Hayat 2003/07/30 Turkmen Shiites in Iraq have asked to be represented in the transitional ruling council and to have one ministerial seat attributed to them in the future government. The Secretary General of the Islamic Union for Iraqi Turkmen, Abbas Al-Bayati, said in a communiqué he sent to the civil governor in Iraq, Paul Bremer, that "the absence of negotiations with the Turkmen political forces in determining a representative in the council has raised many questions, especially since the Turkmen are not familiar with those who represent them in that council." He added: "The Shiites who represent 50 per cent of the Turkmen were very disappointed when they did not find a representative." Al-Bayati insisted on the need to restore balance amid the members of the ruling council, and to include a variety in the Turkmen community by having a representative for the Shiite Turkmen, along with the current Sunnite one. Moreover, according to Al-Dalil newspaper, which is published by the Islamic Union for Iraqi Turkmen, mentioned that banners were being raised in Kirkuk hailing certain political forces, and that this activity was made without consulting the city's residents or their real representatives. The newspaper also insisted that "the national identity of Kirkuk was never determined by a flag or a slogan, and no one has the right or power to settle this issue, knowing that Kirkuk is the city of brotherhood and national unity, and is always open to everyone." This came as an indication to the Kurdish demand of considering Kirkuk part of Kurdistan. It added that "the right step to solve this conflict of flags is for the city's board to adopt a unified flag for Kirkuk, that would express its national and confessional pluralism." On the other hand, a high-level official in the Iraqi Assyrian movement warned of the continuation of the foreign occupation in the country, saying that "ignoring the Iraqis' demands and keeping the occupation will entail dangerous repercussions." Isaac Isaac, member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement in Iraq, said that his movement was trying to achieve this "by participating in the ruling council and representing a strong political party that affects the Iraqi political equation, knowing that there are a million and a half Christians among the Iraqis." Isaac expected the dislodged Christians to return to Iraq to settle and make investments. He said: "the Assyrians have played a major role in providing security for the villages where Christians lived during the advance of the coalition forces," mentioning that "over 1,500 armed Assyrians participated in providing security and spreading stability in those villages." Furthermore, the Yazidi Movement for Reform and Development organized a protest in front of the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital, demanding that a seat be attributed to it in the ruling council. The movement's representative, Imad Izzeddine Sari, said in a speech that "they have come from the town of their own confession in Sinjar, in Ninua, Northern Iraq, to express their stance as a political and national independent movement, as to voice their opinion after their sufferings from persecution and injustice for the past decades." Sari said that they will be submitting a communiqué to Bremer, "and they hope that their demands will be answered, so they can contribute with the rest of the confessions and national movements in serving the Iraqi people and achieving democracy." _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk