Important under-reported news from Iraq

6,000 Sunnis join pact with US in Iraq

By LAUREN FRAYER, Associated Press Writer

Nearly 6,000 Sunni Arab residents joined a security pact with American forces Wednesday in what U.S. officers described as a critical step in plugging the remaining escape routes for extremists flushed from former strongholds.

The new alliance — called the single largest volunteer mobilization since the war began — covers the "last gateway" for groups such as al-Qaida in Iraq seeking new havens in northern Iraq, U.S. military officials said.

U.S. commanders have tried to build a ring around insurgents who fled military offensives launched earlier this year in the western Anbar province and later into Baghdad and surrounding areas. In many places, the U.S.-led battles were given key help from tribal militias — mainly Sunnis — that had turned against al-Qaida and other groups...

The ceremony to pledge the 6,000 new fighters was presided over by a dozen sheiks — each draped in black robes trimmed with gold braiding — who signed the contract on behalf of tribesmen at a small U.S. outpost in north-central Iraq.

For about $275 a month — nearly the salary for the typical Iraqi policeman — the tribesmen will man about 200 security checkpoints beginning Dec. 7, supplementing hundreds of Iraqi forces already in the area.

Meanwhile, in Najaf...

Khaled al-Mulla, a Sunni cleric, attends a meeting between Sunni and Shiite clerics in Najaf, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, renewed his call for an end to sectarian violence in the country and for Sunni and Shiite Muslims to unite, according to al-Mulla, who was part of the Sunni delegation that met him Tuesday in Najaf. (AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani)

bg forwarded this translation of an Iraqi news story that for some reason did not get much play in the Western media outlets. This rough translation was posted by Hameed Abid at Iraq the Model from SotalIraq.com:

Sunnis and Shiites by one in building the new Iraq

Under the slogan ((Sunnis and Shiites by one in building the new Iraq)) Najaf embraced the first Forum of scientists in Iraq.
The media center of the communication _ Khader Elias

Husseinieh Fatimid held in the Great in Najaf the first national forum for scientists Sunnis and Shiites under the slogan "Sunnis and Shiites by one in the building of a new Iraq."

The forum, which was attended by nearly a thousand people from religious scholars from the two communities discussed field conditions in the country, especially political ones.

Speeches delivered at the forum to express religious scholars Aptdehm Samaha Mr. Saleh Haidari, who conveyed the greetings of the President of the Court of stay Sunni, said in his speech Mr. al Conference on:

"The basic objective of the forum is to activate the national unity between all Iraqis, particularly between the two communities, and that the religious reference and religious scholars have the ability to take lofty goals for the unification of Iraq and we have great hope in the end the team in the country."

...With Mr. Al: "The conference brings us together today is not even a forum or message to the effect that the Declaration contains a series of important points as follows:

1. That brings us to today's declaration Antsaralouhdh Party and sedition.

2. We through Mmeltghana message to the Arab world and international and Arab and Islamic countries and Iraq's neighbors not to deal with Iraq on a sectarian basis, but on the basis of dealing with Iraq all the same trend, because we assure them that dealing with Iraq's sectarian serve their interests with the reality of the new Iraq.

3. Call for cultural battle after victory in the political battle field and against terrorism. This call was directed to all scholars of Islam.

4. Send a letter to the Iraqis calling for a culture of cohesion that our way to victory.

With over Najaf governor Asad Sultan Abu tirelessly in a speech during the Forum welcomed the attendees viewers in the city of science and scientists and was pleased with the guests and wished them success Mmeltkahm nationally.

He said the points on which it considers the subject of discussion on the Iraqi arena:"

1. The importance of the role of the nation's scholars in uniting the nation and collected.

2. We must work to promote a culture of justice to achieve a balance between the sons of the nation.

3. Nscherthagaffh importance of dialogue between the sons of the Islamic nation.

4. Maintaining ties and cohesion of Iraqi society.

5. We have to intensify our information and the media, aimed at building the Islamic nation."

With Sheikh Mohammed Kznie representative of the delegation of scientists in Kurdistan in his speech expressed deep happiness in the city of Najaf and meeting with religious references where special meeting was organized by Imam Sistani...