Word: sunnis
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Lebanon's American-supported ruling coalition - made up of Sunni Muslims and some Christians - wants the presidency for one of its own, in order to press forward with measures intended to stop what they see as examples of Syrian and Iranian interference: weapons smuggling and political assassinations. But Hizballah, which wants a candidate who won't interfere with the Shi'a Muslim militant group's attempt to rearm itself for the seemingly never-ending struggle with Israel, has found common cause with those Christians who have been suspicious of the Lebanese government's alliance with America. (Many Christians worry that...
...delay the presidential vote because Lebanon's sectarian political system has a series of checks and balances that keeps governments weak and any one religious group from holding too much power. Thus, major official positions such as the president (who must be Christian), the prime minister (who must be Sunni Muslim) and the speaker of parliament (who must be Shi'a Muslim) are usually chosen by a process that includes both elections and negotiation. The idea is to have national consensus and avoid the kind of disputes that led to the 15-year civil war that ended...
When Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha was assassinated Sept. 13 the culprits and the motive seemed clear. Sheik Sattar was leading the effort to rally Sunni tribes in Anbar Province to turn on the jihadists in their midst. Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) claimed responsibility for the killing, and jihadists gloated on their online message boards...
...things that appealed to the Americans who work with these Sunni groups was their apparent incorruptibility. Unlike the unreliable and incompetent members of the largely Shi'ite Iraqi Army and police, Sunni tribes and nationalist insurgents seem thoroughly committed to a goal that resonates with Americans: keeping their families and their communities safe...
...reasons Sunni tribes and ex-insurgents are so good at capturing and killing jihadists is that they used to work with them. They know who the jihadists are, and know where to look for them. But this former closeness cuts both ways. If indeed AQI enlisted Sattar's security chief in the assassination plot, it would have had to know beforehand where to find him and how to contact him. And if they had $1.5 million to pay him, they may have more money to pay others to change sides...