[JURIST] The US ambassador to Iraq met with interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari Saturday, warned that the US would not tolerate a new Iraqi constitution that would oppress women or other religious sects. Zalmay Khalilzad [US Department of State profile] delivered the message one day after Al-Jaafari met with several Shiite clerics [JURIST report] who communicated their hope that Islam become the main source of legislation in the pending constitution. Khalilzad told reporters that he "assured [Al-Jaafari] that the United States believes strongly that the Iraqi constitution should provide equal rights before the law for all Iraqis regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion or sect". Reuters has more.