Zarqawi group threatens Sunnis who participate in Iraqi constitution process News
Zarqawi group threatens Sunnis who participate in Iraqi constitution process

[JURIST] An Islamist website has posted a message from Iraq's Al-Qaeda group led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi [BBC profile] urging Sunni Muslims not to participate in the Iraqi political process, especially the drafting of the new constitution, and calling any who would take part infidels: "Would anyone draft the constitution other than those who do not believe in God's book…", Reuters quoted the website as asking. The post appeared shortly after a weekend meeting between US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Iraqi leaders [JURIST report] during which she encouraged more Sunni Muslim participation [State Department release] in the Iraqi constitutional process [JURIST news archive]. The Iraqi National Assembly's constitutional drafting committee [JURIST report] contains only a few Sunni Iraqis, but more are expected to be advisors. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN General Assembly approves Palestine partition plan

The UN General Assembly approved UN Resolution Resolution 181 (II) on November 29, 1947, recommending that the British Mandate for Palestine be split into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an international zone for Jerusalem. The vote in the assembly was 33 for to 13 against, with 10 abstentions. The resolution sparked a war between Palestinian Arabs and Jews in 1947 and a wider war after Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded the new State of Israel in 1948. Read Resolution 181 (II).

UN divided Palestine between Arabs and Jews

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab territories, leading to the establishment of a Jewish state the following year. Read UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara resigns during Vietnam Conflict

On November 29, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that he was resigning from his office to accept an appointment as head of the World Bank. The announcement came as the Vietnam Conflict was becoming increasingly unpopular in the United States and abroad.