Sunnis eye their piece of Iraq pie
Representatives of various Sunni groups are trying to lay the groundwork for an independent Sunni region, but efforts may be complicated by the presence of powerful Shiite forces on the ground.
BAGHDAD — During an Aug. 6 meeting, the Sunni Iraqi Forces Alliance took steps to determine the fate of the Sunni community for the post-Islamic State period. The representatives called for the formation of a council to take the lead in the Sunni-dominated provinces and to establish bylaws.
Although the Sunni forces’ statement did not explicitly state the intention to form a Sunni region, it was received by politicians and the Iraqi public as a mobilization to revive the project of a region that includes all Sunni-dominated provinces: Anbar, Ninevah, Salahuddin, Kirkuk and Diyala. This understanding has been confirmed by Sunni Salahuddin Gov. Ahmed al-Jabouri, who spoke to the media Aug. 9 about “some Sunni politicians’ actions to establish a Sunni region.”
