Informed Speculation

God, I hope so…indeed, I pray so:

Iraq’s prime minister on Monday announced a new plan aimed at uniting the sharply divided Shiite and Sunni parties in his government behind efforts to stop rampant sectarian violence.

Tensions were heightened Monday when gunmen seized 14 employees from computer stores in downtown Baghdad in the second mass kidnapping in as many days. Parliament also extended Iraq’s state of emergency for a month.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki emerged with the four-point plan after talks with the top Sunni and Shiite leaders in his government, trying to prevent a crisis over rising tensions between the two Islamic sects.

Under the plan, local commissions will be formed in each district of Baghdad, made up of representatives of each party, to oversee security forces’ efforts against violence, al-Maliki said. A central committee comprising all the parties will coordinate with the armed forces, he said.

A media committee also will be formed, and the progress of the plan will be reviewed monthly, al-Maliki said.

“We have taken the decision to end sectarian hatred once and for all,” al-Maliki told reporters. “We have vowed before almighty God to stop the bloodshed.”

If you do, Prime Minister, you’ll go down in history as a great, great man…I don’t like the idea of what seems to me to be ceding greater control to factions, but perhaps the factions will come to see a united, multi-party Iraq as a better alternative to a divided one…and that’s ultimately the only thing that really matters.  When the warring parties come to see themselves as Iraqis first, we will see a turning point that really lasts…