Concessions Standoff

Concessions Standoff
Can the Iraqi Constitution be saved?
By Fred Kaplan
Posted Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, at 9:05 AM PT

What are the prospects for the Iraqi Constitution? And what does that question have to do with the prospects for Iraq?

Both matters are hazy, given the stretched-out proceedings and multiple delays of the National Assembly over the last two weeks: the sporadic refrains of imminent breakthrough, then breakdown. After Thursday night's persistent deadlock, it now seems that the Shiite and Kurdish delegates will simply bypass their Sunni colleagues and pass the draft constitution on to the Iraqi people in an Oct. 15 referendum.