Learning from our mistakes !
This is the last big gathering of the president's military advisers and the Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward
Geoff Morrell
Pentagon spokesman
Surge here and surge there a little thing happened in Finland today read more.
read this :
Around 30 members of Iraq's Sunni and Shia communities attended the meetings
http://www.rte.ie/...
This is a very interesting development also the timing in so far as the militia's ceasefire is concerned.
any takers on this :
Helsinki Agreement
Representatives of Iraqi parties and blocs held discussions in Finland from August 31
through September 3, 2007 and agreed to consult further on the following
recommendations to start negotiations to reach national reconciliation:
- To resolve all political issues through non-violence and democracy.
- To prohibit the use of arms for all armed groups during the process of
negotiations.
- To form an independent commission approved by all parties, its task being to
supervise the process of disarmament of non-governmental armed groups in a
verifiable manner.
- All parties will commit to accept the results of the negotiations and no party
can be subject to a threat of force from any groups that reject all or part of any
agreement reached.
- To work to end international and regional interference in internal Iraqi affairs.
- To commit to protect human rights.
- To assure the independence and efficiency of the legal and justice systems,
especially the constitutional court.
- To ensure the full participation of all Iraqi parties and blocs in the political
process and agreed governance arrangements.
- To take all necessary steps to end all violence, killings, forced displacement
and any further damage to infrastructure.
- To establish an independent consultative body to explore ways to deal with the
legacy of the past in a way that will unite the nation.
- All Iraqi parties and blocs have to build Iraq and contribute efficiently to
support all the efforts that would make the political process and Iraqi unity
successful and to preserve its sovereignty.
- All participating groups must commit to all of the principles listed here as a
complete system of rules.