IRAQ: Sunni Arab leaders have formed an alliance to fight Iraq's next elections as the US death toll exceeded 2,000, intensifying pressure on Washington.
Three Sunni parties joined a coalition yesterday to contest the December 15th parliamentary poll, after Sunni opposition narrowly failed to veto a new US- backed constitution in a referendum.
"We call upon all Iraqis to participate actively in the elections and not listen to calls for boycotts because they are harmful," the new alliance - the Iraqi Accord Front - said in a statement.
The alliance of the Iraqi People's Gathering, the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue was the clearest sign yet that some Sunnis are turning to the ballot box after boycotting Iraq's parliamentary vote in January.
US and Iraqi officials may welcome the move, but it is not clear if the group has much sway over hardline Sunni insurgents resisting the Shia and Kurdish-led government and the US occupying force protecting it.
The US military, which on Tuesday marked its 2,000th American death since the 2003 invasion, yesterday announced that another soldier had died, in a vehicle accident in southern Iraq.
The rising US death toll puts pressure on President George W Bush to show progress in Iraq, with growing numbers of voters sceptical about the war's direction.
The US ambassador to Iraq predicted yesterday that it might be possible to remove some troops from Iraq over the next year.
"I do believe it's possible that we could adjust our forces, downsizing them in the course of next year," said Zalmay Khalilzad. "That's possible given the positive political developments and continuing growth in the capabilities of the Iraqi forces."
Much depends on whether Sunnis, about 20 per cent of the population, are brought on board under a deal, brokered by US diplomats days before the ballot, which opens the constitution to amendment by the new parliament.
Sunnis turned out in large numbers to vote against the constitution this month, but failed to muster the two-thirds majority No in at least three provinces necessary to veto the measure. Two provinces reached the mark; a third fell short.
Some Sunni leaders said their failure to block the constitution, which many fear hands permanent control of much of Iraq to the Shia majority and its Kurdish allies, would spur a political campaign to force Washington to withdraw.
"Our political programme will focus more on getting the Americans out of Iraq," said Hussein al- Falluji, a prominent Sunni who took part in talks on the constitution. "Our message to the American administration is clear: get out of Iraq or set a timetable for withdrawal or the resistance will keep slaughtering your soldiers until Judgment Day." -