Sunnis expected to help write Iraq constitution News
Sunnis expected to help write Iraq constitution

[JURIST] An official with the parliamentary committee overseeing the drafting of Iraq's permanent constitution [JURIST report] said Sunday that up to 35 Sunni Arabs will be listed by their leaders as willing to help draft the new constitution. The 55-member committee, which itself includes only 2 Sunnis is hoping, with US support [JURIST report], to use the experts to bring Sunnis into the drafting process and try to lessen the frustration and anger of a group thought to be playing a large role in the insurgency. The additional Sunnis would not have voting power on the committee but would be consulted in a effort to frame a consensus. A draft of the constitution is due by mid-August. The Sunni list is expected to be ready by Thursday. The New York Times 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).

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