Reply #2: Iraq tribal chiefs sign 'pact of honor' (to support Maliki plan) [View All]

[Barrett808]

Iraq tribal chiefs sign 'pact of honor'
By VIJAY JOSHI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of Iraq's tribal chiefs Saturday signed a "pact of honor," pledging to support the prime minister's national reconciliation plan on wiping out sectarian strife and terrorism tearing the country.

In another boost for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's efforts, a Sunni lawmaker was released nearly two months after she was abducted in an attack that had stoked sectarian tensions and led to a boycott by the minority in parliament.

At least 23 people were killed Saturday, including four members of a Shiite family in Baqouba and a female translator working for the British consulate in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city.

"Realizing the gravity of the situation our country is undergoing, we pledge in front of God and the Iraqi people to be sincere and serious in preserving the unity of our country," said the pact signed by tribal leaders and sheiks at a national conference.

The chiefs also pledged to "work hard to stop the bloodletting and ... sectarian killings that have nothing to do with our values." A representative read out the agreement, which he described as a "pact of honor," on live television.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060826/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq