Feeling Besieged, Iraq's Sunnis Unite

[MysticMind]

Iraq's minority Sunni Muslims, who enjoyed a favored place under former president Saddam Hussein and now complain of discrimination, have formed a national council to press their interests with U.S. occupation forces and counter the threat of domination by rival Shiite Muslims.

While keeping one eye on the United States, the shura council is also looking to limit the influence of the Shiites and their backers in neighboring Iran, which is largely Shiite. Rashid said the shura council would press for legal restrictions on the immigration of Shiites from Iran who he said had been passing themselves off as Iraqi citizens. Another priority would be to prevent Iraq from joining a security alliance with either Iran or Turkey. Rashid said Iraq must remain in the Arab League, which consists overwhelmingly of countries governed by Sunnis.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57103-2004Jan5.html