Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Media: The Associated Press
Byline: SHAFIKA MATTAR
Date: 21 August 2006
AMMAN, Jordan_Iraqi activists met Monday in the Jordanian capital to map out
a strategy aimed at maintaining Iraq's unity as sectarian fighting threatens
to tear the country apart.
The newly formed group, known as the "Patriotic and National Forces
Movement," consists of about 500 Iraq-based politicians, former military
officers, intellectuals and tribal chiefs representing all of Iraq's
multiethnic and religious groups.
The group, led by prominent Anbar tribal leader Hamid al-Gaoud, said Iraqi
national identity is its chief goal.
The group's organizer, Abdul-Wahab al-Qassab, said "the movement aims at
strengthening Iraq's unity and ensuring equal rights to all religions and
ethnic groups."
"We reject all legislation imposed on Iraq by the Coalition Provisional
Authority and its tools who came to Iraq on its tanks," said al-Qassab,
referring to the consecutive governments who ruled Iraq since the 2003
U.S.-led invasion.
Al-Qassab said the group is devising a plan aimed at stemming the
dangerously deteriorating situation in Iraq.
"The current situation in Iraq is deteriorating drastically, human rights
are violated and corruption is spreading dangerously. Our role is to
formalize a strategy to put an end to this fiasco," he said.
Al-Qassab did not elaborate or provide details on the plan.
The two-day conference, which began Monday and brought together 85 of the
group's founders, seeks to tackle the failure of the political process in
Iraq which al-Qassab described as "manipulated by the illusions and dreams
of those who were appointed by the occupation forces."
The self-financed group said it plans to initially use Arab and
international satellite networks to promote their activities. They
eventually plan to create their own satellite channel, radio station and
newspaper.
Byline: SHAFIKA MATTAR
Date: 21 August 2006
AMMAN, Jordan_Iraqi activists met Monday in the Jordanian capital to map out
a strategy aimed at maintaining Iraq's unity as sectarian fighting threatens
to tear the country apart.
The newly formed group, known as the "Patriotic and National Forces
Movement," consists of about 500 Iraq-based politicians, former military
officers, intellectuals and tribal chiefs representing all of Iraq's
multiethnic and religious groups.
The group, led by prominent Anbar tribal leader Hamid al-Gaoud, said Iraqi
national identity is its chief goal.
The group's organizer, Abdul-Wahab al-Qassab, said "the movement aims at
strengthening Iraq's unity and ensuring equal rights to all religions and
ethnic groups."
"We reject all legislation imposed on Iraq by the Coalition Provisional
Authority and its tools who came to Iraq on its tanks," said al-Qassab,
referring to the consecutive governments who ruled Iraq since the 2003
U.S.-led invasion.
Al-Qassab said the group is devising a plan aimed at stemming the
dangerously deteriorating situation in Iraq.
"The current situation in Iraq is deteriorating drastically, human rights
are violated and corruption is spreading dangerously. Our role is to
formalize a strategy to put an end to this fiasco," he said.
Al-Qassab did not elaborate or provide details on the plan.
The two-day conference, which began Monday and brought together 85 of the
group's founders, seeks to tackle the failure of the political process in
Iraq which al-Qassab described as "manipulated by the illusions and dreams
of those who were appointed by the occupation forces."
The self-financed group said it plans to initially use Arab and
international satellite networks to promote their activities. They
eventually plan to create their own satellite channel, radio station and
newspaper.