Sunnis seek greater say in post-IS Iraq but face resistance
Iraq's Sunni minority is pushing for a greater say in power once the Islamic State group is defeated, reflecting growing sentiment that the country's government must be more inclusive to prevent extremism from gaining ground once again. But so far, there's little momentum. Many Shiite politicians are wary, and the Sunni leadership is divided and […]Muhanad Al-Saleh and Qassim Abdul-Zahra write for AP:
Iraq's Sunni minority is pushing for a greater say in power once the Islamic State group is defeated, reflecting growing sentiment that the country's government must be more inclusive to prevent extremism from gaining ground once again.
But so far, there's little momentum. Many Shiite politicians are wary, and the Sunni leadership is divided and disorganized. On the ground, tensions are further stoked because Shiite militias and Kurdish fighters control some mainly Sunni areas recaptured from IS militants and are resistant to withdrawing.
The danger is that Iraq will miss the chance to break the sectarian cycle that has fueled extremism for more than a decade.
