Sunni Arabs suspend Iraq constitution talks after colleague’s killing

SUNNI Muslim members on a committee drafting Iraq’s new constitution suspended their participation yesterday in the wake of a colleague’s assassination, saying they need more security.

The move came on the same day as a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an army recruiting centre in central Baghdad, killing at least 10 people.

The suicide attacker detonated his explosives belt at the entrance to a recruiting centre at Baghdad's defunct Muthanna airport.

At least 21 people were injured, said Dr Muhannad Jawad from Yarmouk Hospital.

The recruiting centre has been targeted several times in recent months, with an attack on July 10 killing 25 and wounding 47.

The violence came a day after two Sunni Arabs helping draft the constitution committee member Mijbil Issa and committee adviser Dhamin Hussein al-Obeidi were gunned down as they left a restaurant in Baghdad's Karradah district. A bodyguard also was killed.

Mr Issa was among 15 Sunni Arabs appointed to the committee last month to give Sunni Arabs a greater voice in preparing the constitution, which must be approved by parliament by August 15.

Two Sunnis had already quit due to insurgent threats, and with the death of Mr Issa the others were considering withdrawing from the committee. Kamal Hamdoun, a Sunni member, said the 12 remaining members would meet today with Sunni leaders to decide what to do.

Meanwhile, members of the committee say Shi'ites are pushing for a greater role for Islam in civil law a proposal that could erode women's rights in such matters as marriage, divorce and inheritance.

Mariam al-Rayyes, a female Shi'ite Muslim member of the committee, said Islam will be a "main source" for legislation in the constitution and the state religion.

"It gives women all rights and freedoms as long as they don't contradict with our values," Ms al-Rayyes said. "Concerning marriage, inheritance and divorce, this is civil status laws. That should not contradict with religious values."

The Iraqi government observed three minutes of silence for nearly 100 victims of a massive suicide bombing in Musayyib over the weekend, and nearly 30 others, including 18 children and teens, killed July 13 in a suicide attack in Baghdad.

"Let the entire world see and hear who is standing behind these acts, who wants to kill childhood, to kill innocents and worshippers," said Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

Elsewhere, Iraq's national security adviser warned yesterday that a "world war" was being fought on Iraqi soil, in which defeat would mean barbarism prevailing not just in Iraq, but throughout the world.

Muwafaq al-Rubaie predicted that insurgents would "escalate" their attacks in the run-up to the planned constitutional referendum and elections, but insisted the Iraqi government was determined to defeat them.

Prince Hassan of Jordan claimed on Tuesday that Iraq was fragmenting, saying: "I think civil war has actually started in Iraq and I don't think there is any other way of putting it."

But Dr al-Rubaie told the BBC yesterday: "I totally disagree with this. Iraq is not in a civil war and there are no conditions which would help a civil war."