They made this change because they were afraid the constitution would be rejected. But now it may be counterproductive: they made the Sunnis so furious that maybe more of them will vote no.

There is no progress. We are sticking to our stance and they explained their stance.

It is not good to have a constitution that would limit the liberties of people, the human rights, the freedoms.

spiritual ambassador in Europe.

Iraq is in a very delicate situation and has problems with foreign forces, so we need a government of national unity that should include the Shiite list, Kurdish coalition and the Sunnis. When everyone is...

I don’t think anybody is in a hurry. They are completely out of touch with the voters.

Yesterday (Sunday) the meeting of the president with the other parties agreed on the principle of forming a national security council.

The main demands are the same ones that the Sunnis have been talking about all along.

He doesn’t share his decision with others, like his last visit to Turkey, which was wrong because he didn’t tell his deputy, the president, the minister of foreign affairs. It was a decision he made...

Settling these differences is not an easy matter and it cannot be done quickly.

They may be angry, they may say no, but the important thing is that [Sunnis] participate.

I think that their interference is bad, and it further complicates issues because this is an Iraqi matter.

If there is goodwill from everybody, there could be more concessions,

The U.S. wants a government more than we do.

They don’t like the idea of Iraq being described as federal, they prefer united, but I don’t think they are going to get that.

When he promises something, he’ll get it done. If he can’t do it, he won’t promise it.

The problem is that they started discussing the most difficult issue.

There are intense talks going on. They are trying very hard to see if they can make last-minute changes for the Sunni Arabs.

Someone should have said something. The other side is talking, and the American side is silent. To be silent here means you are on the weak side.

whether Islam will be the main source or a source of legislation in the constitution.

The political blocs agreed to postpone today’s parliament session at the request of the Shiite alliance until Saturday afternoon.

The Americans say they don’t intervene, but they have intervened deep.

Really, we are disappointed with that. It seems like the Americans want to have a constitution at any cost,

We are not yet in a civil war. But if the ongoing violence is not contained, it will turn into an Iraqi-Iraqi war.

This is the first time that I have heard politicians say they are worried about the outbreak of civil war.

Being a Muslim, he understands what Islam means, and Islam is very important in Iraq right now. And being an Easterner he understands our traditions.

If the position of the Shiite alliance is final, then things will be more complicated and the formation of the government might face delays.

It’s unfair and I didn’t vote for it. It’s a double standard and it shouldn’t have happened.

Any day that passes, we lose a day of work.

We don’t want to violate the constitution before our first meeting.

When it’s in your favor, you say ‘voters.’ When it’s not in your favor you say ‘eligible voters.’

Everyone is nervous. The security situation is not good. There are so many explosions at the checkpoints and near the convoys. The Americans are afraid. And when the driver doesn’t see them, it happens sometimes...

The (committee) members will study and discuss the names, make their choices and then present them to the heads of the blocs either tonight or tomorrow.

The visit to Turkey showed that he makes decision without consulting anybody, like during the last Cabinet. That has ignited a new dissatisfaction.

[Sunni approval of the constitution would have] created a big movement against the terrorists, … It is a good document. What worries us is our Sunni Arab friends.

Without any doubt, there is American pressure on everybody. The U.S. wants to reach a solution and finalize an agreement, and they say that the date of Aug. 15 is sacred.

Violence has its fingerprints on everything. It’s affecting everything and every activity.

We should not be with one side or the other, but somewhere in the middle.

We call on you all to take part in the elections, … We don’t want federalism.

We’re short of time it’s the fault of the Americans. They are always insisting on short deadlines. It’s as if they’re [making] hamburgers and fast food.

We have seen in recent weeks a security crisis, then a political crisis. This would mean we would now have a constitutional crisis.

Sometimes it seems it is even more important to them that we get a deal. They are concerned, and very active, … If there’s no success, it affects them as well. I think they are...

Americans are working very hard to work out something.

It is very important to clarify – an investigation could help defuse tension.

but the question is, would this draft satisfy the Sunni Arabs’ demands.

If we’d had more time, it would have been possible to get Sunni participation. When Oct. 15 comes, many won’t even have seen the constitution.

It would be more appropriate if they would leave us alone. Let us solve our problems by ourselves.

The cancellation of this meeting is a regrettable thing because such meetings are essential under the current situation.

The nation’s political parties supported the decision to delay the session until all parties agree on all the nominees for the key posts.

These are all negative signs that tarnish the picture of the trial and thus affect the credibility of the court and the confidence of the public in it.