I wonder how significant a development this is? According to the Washington Post,
As Marines step up preparations for military offensives on two major Iraqi cities, a number of Sunni Muslim leaders are forwarding a plan to establish the rule of law in those areas through peaceful means, with the promise of reducing the insurgency across a large swath of the country. Some of the groups leading the bid have encouraged violent resistance in central, western and northern Iraq. The groups say they will withdraw their support for violence if Iraq’s interim government can reassure Sunni leaders wary of national elections, which are scheduled for the end of January.
If this pans out, it would be an enormous breakthrough. Re-taking a Falluja is an essential task for Iraq’s transition, and it should be done by military means if necessary – but defeating the insurgency also needs a political arm. Far, far better for the Sunni elites to turn on the terrorists and extremists than for the U.S. to have to bear that political burden. I must say this is by far the best news in a very long time – and I wonder whether it emerged because of Bush’s decisive re-election. The Post story said the offer had been made “last week,” although such a shift must have been in the works long beforehand. The imminence of the attack on Fallujah must have been the key precipitant, but I wonder if November 2 sealed the deal. If it did, it’s a retroactive endorsement of the pro-Bush pro-war camp’s position. I hope I get to eat my words about the danger of recent developments in Iraq. I really do.
The Dish 