Ain-Al-Yaqeen - January 27, 2006

		January 27, 2006

SHEIKH SABAH AL-AHMAD AL-SABAH WILL TAKE HIS CONSTITUTIONAL OATH BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT NEXT SUNDAY.
SAAD AL-HARIRI: SAUDI ARABIA AND KING ABDULLAH ARE CONSTANTLY BACKING LEBANESE STABILITY AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE DIFFERENCES WITH THE KINGDOM.
A LARGE NUMBER OF VOTERS ATTEND THE PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS AND THE ISRAELI MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS STRESSES THE NECESSITY OF GIVING OCCUPIED LANDS IN THE WEST BANDK. IRAN REGARDS MOSCOW'S INITIATIVE TO ENRICH URANIUM IN RUSSIA AS POSITIVE.

The new ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will take his constitutional oath before the Parliament next Sunday to be the 15th ruler for Kuwait.

The deputy speaker of the Parliament in Kuwait Mushar al-Anjari said in a press statement that the "council set Sunday January 29th two consecutive sessions. The first will be dedicated to approve Sheikh Sabah as a ruler of Kuwait and the second is for him to take his constitutional oath."

The Kuwaiti cabinet held an extraordinary meeting in Dar Salwa under chairmanship of the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The ministers took note of the parliament's unanimous decision in its secret session over the definite transfer of the authorities of the Amir, in accordance with articles three and four of the law of succession of the emirateship coupled with vacancy of the Crown Prince's post, and decided that the cabinet practice authorities of the Head of the state until an Amir is chosen.

Deputy Premier and minister of state for cabinet and parliament affairs Mohammad Sharar said in a statement after the cabinet meeting that the government's move was in line with article four of the constitution and article four of the law of succession of emirateship.

Accordingly, the government announced vacancy of the Crown Prince's post and would practice authorities of the Amir, he said.

The cabinet, added Sharar, appreciated wisdom and patience of Sheikh Sabah to handle this issue within complete commitment with the constitutional and legal framework in dealing with "this crisis." Sheikh Sabah was always keen on preserving the high status of Sheikh Saad Al-Adullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. The government praised the responsible spirit and positive cooperation with the parliament, which have helped ended the issue in a positive atmosphere.

This cooperation was full of wisdom and keen on preserving Kuwait's higher interest and looked forward to continuing such cooperation between the government and parliament.

The cabinet, meanwhile, then resumed the meeting under chairmanship of first deputy prime minister and interior minister Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to examine nomination of the Amir.

The Kuwaitis regard Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah as a qualified and experienced man with extreme keenness on the interest of the country and people, said Sharar.

The cabinet praised Sheikh Sabah's role in running the country's affairs, in addition to representing the late Amir in foreign events during the past years, as well as to Sheikh Sabah's relations at the Gulf, Arab and international levels.

The cabinet, therefore, decided to nominate Sheikh Sabah for the Amir post and inform the parliament to determine a special sitting to complete the constitutional procedures.

The cabinet, said Sharar, praised Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah's efforts and achievements at all levels to serving Kuwait and its people over long decades, during which he showed full dedication.

Rachel Bronson, Senior Fellow and Director for the Middle East and Gulf States at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), said Kuwait must be proud of the way it handled the succession issue after its parliament put the country's future before any other considerations. "The Kuwaitis have lived through a remarkable two weeks since the Amir died. And in deposing the ailing Emir Sheikh Saad set a precedent in Kuwaiti history. The succession was handled with extreme dexterity." Bronson told KUNA.

"The Parliament performed its duties and showed the region, and the world, that constitutions and rule of law have a place in the Arabian Gulf, an area that often seemingly operates outside these rules, according special preferences to members of the royal family," she added.

The Kuwait political process, she noted, also "demonstrated that although succession in monarchies is often opaque to outsiders, as well as insiders, the Gulf countries have shown a remarkable ability to manage them, whether it's a Saudi, Emirati or Kuwaiti succession.

She stressed that Kuwait's succession was "the most difficult" of all, given the health of Sheikh Saad, but it was handled with "extreme dexterity." "Kuwait has much to be proud of today, especially of the role their MPs played. Kuwait's parliament has re-emerged as an example for the region she said.

The Cabinet appointment of Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, half brother to the previous emir who died Jan. 15, still needed approval by Parliament, where he was said to enjoy unanimous support. A vote was expected early next week.

"Today, we were promoted from a Third World country to a First World country," Fouad Al-Hashem, columnist for Al-Watan daily, told The Associated Press.

The unprecedented vote by the Kuwaiti legislature came just moments before it received a letter of abdication from ailing Sheikh Saad, according to Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi.

All members of the ruling family reportedly had agreed on Sheikh Sabah. "The house listened to the amir's medical report and it became evident to the house, beyond any doubt, to transfer the emir's responsibilities permanently," Al-Khorafi told a news conference.

"The Amir remains in the hearts of all Kuwaiti people. We all love, appreciate and respect him, but this is God's will. We can only wish him a quick recovery," Al-Khorafi added.

Al-Khorafi acknowledged divisions within the royal family over deposing the amir, but denied there had been a leadership crisis. "We take pride in having followed all our constitutional procedures," Al-Khorafi said. "In spite of our differences, the spirit of brotherhood prevailed."

Sheikh Sabah has run day-to-day affairs of the country since the late emir and Sheikh Saad, both fell ill.

On the Lebanese arena Head of the Future bloc in Parliament MP Saad Rafic Hariri discussed US support for Lebanon and the United Nations probe into the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in Washington, where Mr. Hariri has been meeting top officials. At the State Department, MP Hariri said there was strong US backing for the government's reform program and for the UN probe to reveal the truth behind last February's assassination of the late Premier.

Discussions with the US Secretary of State also focused on the security situation in Lebanon. MP Hariri asked for US support for the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces, to shore up stability in the country, which is a top priority. Asked by reporters about some claims that the US practices tutelage over Lebanon, he rejected any custodianship over the country and made clear that there is nothing wrong in requesting the support of the US or the European Union, adding the US and Lebanon enjoy excellent ties and they will not turn into enemies due to animosity between other parties.

In response to a question on whether he gave any guarantees to deploy the Lebanese Army in South Lebanon in exchange for military aid, MP Hariri stressed that the Army and the Internal Security Forces are in need of major support, not only from the US, but also from Egypt, Jordan, EU states. He said the international community is willing to help Lebanon to preserve democracy, freedom and sovereignty.

Regarding US Secretary of State Rice's call for Syrian cooperation in the UN probe into the former Prime Minister's murder, MP Hariri said urged cooperation with the international investigation, to uphold Syrian and Lebanese interests in revealing the perpetrators of the bombing attack. He also told reporters that the new head of the UN team Mr. Serge Brammertz has just arrived in Lebanon, and hoped that the probe will intensify its pace to punish the perpetrators, adding the more Syria cooperates with the team the better the situation in the region will become.

Asked about his achievements from the US visit, MP Hariri said a delegation from the International Monetary Fund will travel to Lebanon next month for talks on the government's reform program, and stressed that the idea of holding an international conference in support of the Lebanese economy has been revived.

Head of the Future bloc in Parliament MP Saad Rafic Hariri held separate meetings in Washington with US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman, IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato and his deputy Agustín Carstens, and a delegation representing the Task Force for Lebanon, as part of talks that he is holding in the United States.

MP Hariri met National Security Advisor Hadley at the White House, before visiting the US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon for talks on US military aid to the Lebanese Army. Mr. Hariri also visited the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund, where he met the IMF Managing Director and his deputy. Mr. de Rato reaffirmed the IMF's support for Lebanon, and announced that an IMF delegation will visit Lebanon on February 7th for talks with the government on financial and economic reform. MP Hariri thanked Mr. de Renato for the Fund's backing of reform and pointed out that the Future parliamentary bloc and the legislative majority support the reform process.

Earlier, MP Hariri received a delegation representing the Task Force for Lebanon led by Mr. Peter Tannous. Talks focused on developments in Lebanon and the region.

Head of the Future bloc in Parliament MP Saad Rafiq Hariri said the Lebanese are committed to achieving sovereignty, independence and freedom, and want to live in peace with their neighbors, at a forum with journalists and academics in Washington, where he is expected to meet US President George W. Bush this week. MP Hariri said he will thank the US President for his country's support of Lebanon, and urged the international community to give the Lebanese time to engage in national dialogue over sensitive matters.

At the forum, which was held in the Wilson Center and attended by Deputy House Speaker Fareed Makari, MP Bassem Sabeh, former MP Ghattas Khoury and a large number of US and Arab media networks and academics, said the Lebanese opened a new page in their history following the withdrawal of Syrian troops, and attempts to destroy the country's democracy, during the civil war, have failed due to the resolve of the Lebanese. Mr. Hariri pointed out that the Lebanon is a small country in which many sects live together, and the day that former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri was assassinated the Lebanese said enough to occupation, demanding the truth behind the murder. Mr. Hariri stressed that the Lebanese want to live in peace with all their neighbors and believe in freedom, like the late Premier did. He made clear that punishing the perpetrators of Prime Minister Hariri's assassination will serve as a lesson in Lebanon and the region.

Asked about World Bank support for Lebanon and the government's reform pledge, MP Hariri said the government had drafted a plan but regrettably some ministers have walked out from Cabinet, and when the matter is resolved, discussions will continue on holding an international conference in support of Lebanon. He stressed that the country is ready to implement reforms, especially after the last elections that brought a clear majority to Parliament.

In response to a question about whether he views Hizbollah as a militia or as a resistance movement and about the group's arms, MP Hariri said Hizbollah gained a large parliamentary bloc in legislative elections, and part of the group is armed, however the other is social and economic that has provided services to the Lebanese. He also highlighted the need for dialogue among the Lebanese. Regarding Lebanese identity and ties with Syria, MP Hariri said all parties should put Lebanon at the top of their agenda, and said both the Amal Movement and Hizbollah do not intend to serve the interests of any regional party at the expense of Lebanon. He told the forum that for the first time in Lebanon, the Lebanese are themselves discussing sensitive and difficult matters.

Regarding close Syrian-Iranian ties in light of the Iranian nuclear crisis, MP Hariri made clear that Lebanon is a small country that is impacted by its environment, and urged Syria and Iran to comply with international resolutions. In response to a question about Lebanese democracy and the presence of a "dictatorial" regime in Syria that will not allow it to thrive, MP Hariri said democracy is much stronger than any dictatorship, and called for unity to protect Lebanese democracy, which withstood eighty five years of challenges.

MP Hariri was asked if he believed a US-Syrian deal is in the making over Lebanon's future, he said he did not believe so and cited US backing for Lebanon. He stressed that no deal can be made over Lebanese sovereignty, independence and freedom, although some wish this could happen, but it will not.

Commenting on Syrian President Bashar Assad's speech last week in which he accused some in Lebanon of working to destabilize Syria, MP Hariri pointed out that it was Lebanon which continues to suffer from assassinations and bombings, and asked who is working to destabilize the other. Regarding President Assad's opposition to the demarcation of the Syrian-Lebanese border at the Shebaa Farms, Mr. Hariri said it is in Lebanon's interest to draw the frontier, since the conflict there should be resolved. He explained that once Lebanon regains its territory, it will show the world that it is legally defending its land.

Regarding a Saudi initiative to reduce tensions, MP Hariri praised Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah for their constant backing of Lebanese stability and stressed that it was impossible to have difference with the Kingdom. He told the forum that Lebanon wants good ties with Syria based on the respect of its sovereignty and independence.

Asked about former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam's recent statements against the Syrian regime, MP Hariri said what is important is Mr. Khaddam's testimony to the Untied Nations team investigating Premier Hariri's assassination. He pointed out that the former Syrian Vice President had served in his country for more than three decades.

He was also asked about his return to Lebanon. MP Hariri said he delayed his return following the assassination of MP Gebran Tueini, but told the forum that he will go back soon.

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud received Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdul Aziz Khojah. The meeting came in the framework of the president's meetings with accredited ambassadors to Lebanon.

The UN Security Council urged Syria to comply with a 2004 resolution requiring the full withdrawal of its troops and intelligence operatives from Lebanon, noting the disarmament of militias is not being met.

A presidential statement unanimously passed by the Security Council regarding UN Resolution 1559 commended the efforts of Lebanon to meet the demands of Resolution 1559.

But the Security Council "also notes with regret that other provisions of resolution 1559 have yet to be implemented, particularly the disbanding and disarming of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias," the statement read.

"This is a clear, unanimous signal from the Security Council of what Syria still has to do. I hope in Damascus they read it very carefully and then comply with Resolution 1559," said John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the UN.

Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N.'s special envoy on Syria and Lebanon, said the presidential statement indicated wide international support for the sovereignty of Lebanon.

"The broad international community ... is supporting the disbanding of these militias, which are a danger to the stability of Lebanon," Roed-Larsen said.

He highlighted the need for all parties involved in the Syria-Lebanon issue to respect the will of the international community.

"This is a very dangerous time for Lebanon and a very dangerous time for the region. The best way to stabilize the situation is to respect the decisions of the Security Council," Roed-Larsen said.

In London British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted that he did not want to take any action against Iran or Syria, saying it would be a "terrible miscalculation" if they thought otherwise.

Tony Blair said the countries needed to understand what was acceptable. The Prime Minister said he wanted good relations with both countries and had no desire to destabilise them. "We are happy to have better relations with Syria and Iran," he said. "We have no desire whatever to act against people in Iran or people in Syria."

But he said the only way good relations could be established was if the countries stuck to their international obligations and did not support terrorism in other countries. "I am afraid at the moment that is not the case," he said. "Iran is giving active support to terrorism round the Middle East and elsewhere. "And there is the situation obviously as a result of what has happened in Lebanon where there are very serious question marks about what has happened with Syria. "There would be a terrible misunderstanding, indeed a terrible miscalculation being made both by the Syrian and Iranian regimes if they thought that we were interested in destabilising those two countries. "We are not. We want good relations with those two countries. But it has got to be on the basis of a common understanding as to what is acceptable in the international community and what isn't."

In Damascus President Bashar Al-Assad called for a more active European role in the Middle East. He underlined the necessity to press Israel as to implement the international legitimacy resolutions like the pullout of the occupied Arab territories and adherence to the peace process in accordance with the Madrid conference.

Speaker of the Spanish Senate Francisco Javier Rojo Garcia, called for enhancing Syrian-Spanish relations and for working together towards achieving peace in the Middle East.

In Cairo President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa discussed the latest developments in the region and the final preparations for the Arab summit meeting, which will be held in Khartoum in March.

The discussions also covered Syria-Lebanon issue and the standoff between Damascus and the UN over the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

Moussa said Egypt and the League were closely following up the latest developments in the Syrian-Lebanese file as well as the role of Egypt and Saudi Arabia in difusing tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

The AL chief asserted that the Arab summit will be held as scheduled in Khartoum on March 28-29.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator said that Tehran views Moscow's offer to have Iran's uranium enriched in Russia as a positive development but no agreement has been reached between the countries.

Chief negotiator Ali Larijani also reiterated Iran's threat to renew enrichment activities if it is referred to the U.N. Security Council.

Moscow has proposed having Iran's uranium enriched in Russia, then returned to Iran for use in the country's reactors - a compromise that could provide more oversight and ease tensions with the United States and European Union over Iran's nuclear program.

"Our view of this offer is positive, and we tried to bring the positions of the sides closer," Larijani said a day after talks with Russian Security Council chief Igor Ivanov, which included discussion of the plan. "This plan can be perfected in the future, during further talks that will be held in February."

A British Foreign Office official, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with government policy, said foreign ministers from the five permanent U.N. Security Council members - Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States - plus Germany would meet in London to discuss the next steps in the crisis over Iran's nuclear program. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of a donors' conference on Afghanistan to be held in London on January 31 and February 1st, 2006.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was expected to use the Afghan meeting to hold discussions with key nations on Iran's nuclear program.

The meeting comes ahead of a Feb. 2 emergency board session of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which can refer Iran to the Security Council. European countries believe they have enough votes to haul Iran before the council, but they are seeking support from Russia, China and key developing nations.

Larijani and Ivanov said in a joint statement that Tehran's nuclear standoff must be resolved by diplomatic efforts in the IAEA. The statement reflected Russia's efforts to delay Iran's referral to the Security Council and Moscow's opposition to international sanctions against Tehran.

Larijani said Iran would welcome talks with European countries, though an Iranian proposal to return to talks with the EU was recently rejected.

But he warned that any attempt to refer Iran to the Security Council would lead it to move forward with a full-scale uranium enrichment program.

"If they use political pressure, if our dossier is handed over or opened in an unofficial way by the Security Council ... our actions will not be limited to research," he said. "Then we will begin industrial enrichment."

Haggling has continued over the specifics of Russia's offer, including Tehran's proposal to have China involved in the Russian enrichment process.

Larijani suggested it would take some time to work out details of the proposal. Some critics allege the Iranians are using the proposal to stall for time as Western diplomatic pressure mounts.

Russian officials have said further talks on the initiative will be held in Russia around Feb. 16 - well after the IAEA session.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged Tehran to seriously consider Russia's offer in an effort to end the standoff. Straw also said in an interview with The Associated Press that he hoped the IAEA would refer the matter to the Security Council.

In Washington, Rice said that "referral absolutely has to be made" on Feb. 2, while remaining vague on what action she thought the Security Council should take, and when.

On the Palestinian arena amid tight security and a sea of yellow and green flags, thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem flocked to polling booths early in the morning to vote for 132 new members of the Palestinian Parliament.

Both the ruling Fatah party and its challenger, the Islamist Hamas movement, said they were confident of victory, but said they were willing to govern together if no clear winner emerges. Pollsters said the race was too close to call.

By 4 p.m, with three hours of voting left, 57.6 percent of 1.3 million eligible voters had cast ballots. The atmosphere was festive some party activists decorated their cars with red carnations, as if for a wedding and few disruptions were reported, despite concern about possible violence. In the West Bank refugee camp of Balata, gunmen who had threatened to derail voting checked their automatic rifles at the door before voting.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he is ready to resume peace talks with Israel, even if Hamas joins his government after the vote.

"We are ready to negotiate," Abbas told reporters. "We are partners with the Israelis. They don't have the right to choose their partner. But if they are seeking a Palestinian partner, this partner exists."

Across the West Bank and Gaza, long lines formed outside polling stations, as Palestinians given a real choice for the first time cast their ballots.

Hamas was widely expected to make a strong showing that would place the Islamists squarely inside the Palestinian political system for the first time. Hamas' success has alarmed Israel and the West, though Abbas has argued that bringing them into the fold will tame them, enabling peace moves to go forward. In an apparent sign of pragmatism, Hamas has not carried out an attack since a cease-fire was declared a year ago.

But, its top parliamentary candidate, Ismail Haniyeh, said Hamas had no intention of laying down its arms after the elections as Abbas has said he expects. And another prominent candidate, Mahmoud Zahar, said his group is "not going to change a single word" in its covenant calling for Israel's destruction.

Abbas, elected a year ago, will still head the Palestinian Authority regardless of the results, but the voting will usher in a new Cabinet that could include Hamas members. Israel says it will not deal with Hamas until it disarms. The Bush administration lists Hamas as a terrorist organization and also refuses to deal directly with it. But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack refused to rule out negotiations with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas ministers.

Activists from both parties were out in full force, handing out lists of candidates' names, baseball hats and scarves. But the Hamas effort appeared more organized than Fatah's. "These elections will determine the fate of the Palestinian people," said Mohammed Shaabein, a 71-year-old retiree in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya.

The Beach refugee camp near Gaza City was decorated in a sea of flags green for Hamas, yellow for Fatah and the excitement in the air was palpable.

Outside a polling station at a boys' school in the camp, Fatah supporters wore the party's black-and-white checkered scarves decorated with Palestinian flags. Hamas activists sported green baseball hats, and many of the Hamas women wore full veils and gloves.

In a political earthquake, Hamas, swept Palestinian legislative elections. The United States said the Palestinian resistance group cannot be a partner for peacemaking with Israel without renouncing violence while Tel Aviv appealed to the European Union to take a firm stance against what it called the establishment of a "terrorist government."

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei resigned as Election Commission results for Wednesday's elections showed Hamas winning 76 seats against Fatah's 43 in the 132-member legislature. President Mahmoud Abbas accepted Qorei's resignation but asked him to continue till a new Cabinet is formed, Palestinian officials said.

The president also asked Hamas to form the next government.

In the streets of Gaza, Hamas activists embraced, fired guns in the air and handed out sweets.

Amid heightened tension, Fatah supporters clashed with triumphant Hamas activists who briefly hoisted a green Hamas flag at the entrance to the Palestinian Parliament in Ramallah.

In its first official comment on the poll result, Israel urged the European Union to take a firm stance against the establishment of a Palestinian "terrorist government." "After the takeover by Hamas of the Palestinian Authority, it is incumbent on the European Union to speak out clearly and unequivocally that there will be no European understanding of a process that would mean the establishment of a terrorist government," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.

Leaders of the EU, the biggest donor to the aid-dependent Palestinian Authority, said earlier Hamas must renounce violence and recognize Israel or risk international isolation.

In Washington, Bush said Hamas' victory was a sign Palestinians were unhappy with the status quo and showed democracy at work, which was positive for the Middle East.

But he made clear he was sticking to Washington's view of Hamas as a terrorist group. "I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform," Bush told a White House news conference. "You can't be a partner in peace if... your party has got an armed wing."

Hamas' politburo chief Khaled Meshaal telephoned Abbas to affirm "a commitment to partnership with all the Palestinian forces, including the brothers in the Fatah movement."

But Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah official, rejected any coalition with Hamas, a group that Abbas had said he hoped to bring into the political mainstream and persuade to disarm.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said acceptance within the international community of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state would erode with time as conflict with the Palestinians dragged on.

Unless progress was made towards establishing a Palestinian state as mandated by a U.S.-backed peace road map, Livni said in a speech, pressure could grow to turn Israel into a binational state in which Israelis and Palestinians would share power.

With a higher Palestinian birth rate, that could mean the end of a Jewish majority in what is now Israel, she said, giving voice to an argument interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has raised for trading occupied land for peace.

"I say that time works to our disadvantage, not only from the standpoint of demographic numbers ... but also from the standpoint of the legitimacy of a state for the Jewish people in the eyes of the international community," Livni told a policymakers' forum near Tel Aviv.

Livni stopped short of urging a quick resumption of stalled peace talks, but said Israel should not "sit and look to stagnation as a kind of solution, but try to find solutions".

Livni, a former official in the Mossad intelligence service, is widely seen in Israel as a rising political star. She is number two behind Olmert in Kadima, the centrist party founded by Ariel Sharon, who was incapacitated by a stroke on Jan. 4.

Opinion polls predict Kadima will win Israel's March 28 national election.

In Iraq more than 1,000 protesters hit the streets of Samara, some 125km north of the capital, Baghdad, this week to demonstrate against al-Qaida militants blamed for killing more than 100 local police recruits this month.

The demonstration on 24 January, organised by the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Muslim Scholars' Association, is the first of its kind to specifically condemn the al-Qaida group for alleged terrorist attacks.

"They have to stop killing innocent people like recruits, journalists and children," demanded protest organiser Kamal Ahmed. "If they don't stop, we'll fight them directly," Ahmed added angrily.

Even self-described insurgents, locked in bitter fighting with US and Iraqi military forces, joined in the condemnation.

"We work against the US occupation without hurting innocents," said Abu Omar of the insurgent Islamic Army. "If al-Qaida is against the ideology behind the insurgency, it's time to force them out of our country."

"We will kill the militants to show how far we will go to save the lives of innocent people," Abu Omar added.

In early January, a Sunni tribal leader was assassinated almost sparking revolt in Samara after condemning al-Qaida for killing innocent civilians in its attacks.

Following the release of parliamentary election results, the Iraqi government has expressed optimism that greater Sunni participation in a new government will result in a truce between Sunni militias and US and Iraqi forces.

"Everyone started to see that we have to work together to bring progress to Iraq," said Hussein Sardawi, a senior official in the Ministry of Interior. "Al-Qaida is the only group that wants to bring instability to our country."

Al-Qaida allegedly infiltrated into Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003. The group's presence became increasingly apparent during the first US-led offensive in Fallujah, launched in April 2004.

Initially, al-Qaida membership in Iraq consisted mostly of foreigners, say experts. According to officials in the information ministry, though, hundreds of Iraqis have since joined it.

The number of al-Qaida fighters operating in the country is loosely estimated at some thousands, although no official figures exist.

Similar anti-al-Qaida demonstrations were planned in the cities of Ramadi and Baghdad in the coming days.

"We're happy with the decision to work against al-Qaida," Sardawi said. "But we're also worried that this might result in the deaths of more innocent people."