On page 3 of our paper this morning the following two articles appeared, one under the other:
Sunnis face dilemma on Iraq constitution
ROBERT H. REID
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Rebuffed in the constitution deliberations, Sunni Arabs now face a dilemma: boycott the Oct. 15 referendum on a new charter and hand the Shiites a landslide victory, or take part in a vote that demographics suggest they'll lose.
But the Shiite community itself is divided over the constitution, and interviews on Baghdad streets indicate the key federalism proposal may be a hard sell to many on both sides.
About 2,000 people, mostly Sunnis, marched Monday against the constitution in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. Some carried pictures of Saddam and repeated chants heard in countless stage-managed protests during his regime: "We sacrifice our souls and blood for you, Saddam."
Others carried pictures of radical Shiite clerics Muqtada al-Sadr and Jawad al-Khalisi, who have joined the Sunnis in opposing the constitutional draft because of federalism - which critics fear will lead to the disintegration of Iraq...
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Newsview: New Mideast Violence May Wane
By STEVEN GUTKIN, Associated Press Writer
Monday, August 29, 2005
(08-29) 14:56 PDT JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) --
A lethal arrest raid, a suicide bombing, fresh land expropriations, a threatening Hamas video: So far, that's the follow-up to Israel's historic Gaza pullout.
Rather than seize the moment to jump-start negotiations, Israelis and Palestinians appear to be falling into a familiar pattern of violence and rhetoric. Still, the withdrawal from Jewish settlements in Gaza is of such significance that even the latest spasms are unlikely to torpedo all momentum for peace.
Ariel Sharon won praise for fulfilling his pledge — in a dramatic, breakneck sweep that ended last week — to evacuate 8,500 settlers from the Gaza Strip and another 500 from the northern West Bank. Now the Israeli leader wants to send a very clear message that terrorism won't be tolerated and that major West Bank settlement blocs will remain Israeli...
Sharon's critics say now is the time to capitalize on the goodwill created by the Gaza evacuation, not to flex muscles. Many fear the two sides already have begun to squander a unique historical opportunity. And the recent friction has brought home the pitfalls of trying to get Israelis and Palestinians together after five years of trust-destroying violence.
Both sides say they're still prepared to talk, however. Officials said a meeting is possible between Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas when the two are in New York next month to address the United Nations.
And Sharon's withdrawal, ending 38 years of Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip, is likely to have long-lasting ripple effects on Mideast peacemaking that could weather some setbacks. With the settlers gone, the army is expected to complete its own pullout in the coming days...
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Play along with me here, is there anything wrong with these portrayals? Why is the Iraq story portrayed as more or less a disaster, while the Israeli/Palestinian story is portrayed as hopeful?
Steve |
