Sunni and Shi'a leaders began a potential peace process at secret meetings with leaders of the new Northern Ireland and South Africa one month, signing draft set of principles which resemble the protocols that guided the peace settlements in those two countries.
Chairing the closed meetings near Helsinki were Martin McGuinness, the former Irish Republican Army commander, lead negotiator with the British, and now Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and Roelf Meyer, former leader of the pro-apartheid National Party in South Africa's peace negotiations. The Irish delegation also included former IRA hunger striker Leo Green, minister Jeffrey Donaldson, former Stormont speaker Lord Alderdice, and former loyalist paramilitary leader Billy Hutchison. South African participants included ANC leaders Mac Maharaj and Rashid Ismail, key participants in the military and political negotiations in South Africa. [See "McGuinness in Iraqi Peace Negotiations," An Phoblacht, Sinn Fein Weekly, Sept. 6, 2007, and "NI Figures Boost Iraqi Peace Talks," BBC, Sept. 4, 2007]
The Iraq delegations' names have not been released but reportedly included six Sunni and nine Shi'a who signed a statement of principles. About 30 Iraqis were present, including Akram al-Hakim, minister of national reconciliation for the Baghdad government, representatives of Moktada al-Sadr, Sunni leader Adnan al-Dulaimi, and Humam Hammoudi, the Shi'a chairman of the Baghdad parliament's foreign affairs committee.
There is no doubt that American and British authorities knew about and approved the meeting, though they were excluded from attending. Instead, the meeting was facilitated and funded by the Finnish Crisis Management Initiative [CMI] and the McCormack Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts.
At this point, virtually no American media outlets have reported the meeting, despite the importance of the parties in attendance.
Irish political consultant Quentin Oliver, who directed the successful referendum on the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, summed up the significance: "The Iraqis saw the dynamics from us. Apartheid removed. Troubles accommodated. Baghdad next. They did it, not us. We only helped." [Peter Fabricius, "Promising Future for Iraq Thanks to SA Trio," Johannesburg Star, Sept. 6, 2007]
The Iraqis saw former military enemies -- McGuinness and Hutchison, for example, or South African apartheid leaders and ANC guerilla commanders -- chairing meetings together on how sharply divided communities can coexist.
The key question for the Iraqis, who are circulating the draft at home, is whether the major parties believe their armed strategies have reached a stalemated point of no return, or whether one side [and foreign sponsors like the U.S. and U.K.] still hopes for a military victory. In South Africa and Northern Ireland, secret peace discussions were initiated while the wars were proceeding, but eventually grew into the peace processes as the rival parties concluded that armed struggle [or military occupation] had reached its limits.
South Africa was first to settle its war, in 1994, and the ANC became close advisers to the IRA as the Irish peace process was being evaluated. At one point, President Nelson Mandela even presided over discussions in South Africa between republican and unionist/loyalist leaders who would not sit in the same rooms together.
The Finnish role in the current process stems from former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari's past involvement with the independent decommissioning agency established in Northern Ireland.
The key moments at the meeting were when Irish and South African representatives told stories of how their militarized strategies ultimately led to stalemate and the prospect of endless war. "The most remarkable impression on the Iraqis was McGuinness, once evil incarnate to the Protestants," who now sits as vice-minister to First Minister Ian Paisley, the right-wing fundamentalist preacher trained at Bob Jones University who swore that the Catholic Church was the "whore of Babylon." A meaningful peace process "only emerged in both countries when all parties agreed that those who adhered to violence had to be brought into negotiations, and that those parties adhering to violence had accepted that violence could never lead to accommodation. One could see Iraq heads nod in agreement." [Padraig O'Malley, Boston Globe op-ed, September 24, 2007]
The so-called "Helsinki principles" which were agreed to, with each Iraqi signatory praying "In-sha'Allah" as they signed their names, are very general and appear utopian, but so were the early framework agreements in Ireland and South Africa. Most importantly, all parties agreed to continue the discussions towards a settlement.
The agreement commits all parties "to work towards a robust framework for a lasting settlement [and] a set of recommendations to start negotiations to reach national reconciliation...The principles of inclusivity, power-sharing and a commitment to removing the use of violence as a means of resolving political differences were among the most urgent concerns agreed."
The 12 principles and 19 "political objectives," which are online at Helsinkiagreement.com include:
* to resolve all political issues through nonviolence and democracy;
* to form an independent commission approved by all parties to supervise the process of disarmament in a verifiable manner;
* to commit to accept the result of the negotiations with no party subjected to threats of force;
* to establish an independent consultative body to explore ways to deal with the legacy of the past in a way that will unite the nation;
* "a common vision for all Iraqi political entities on the importance of termination of the presence of foreign troops in Iraq through the completion of national sovereignty and rebuilding a national army and security apparatus according to a national vision within a realistic timetable";
* "to convince political groups that are currently outside the political process to initiate and activate a constructive dialogue to reach common understandings";
* "to deal with armed groups which are not classified as terrorist, encouraging them to use peaceful political mens to address the conflict and to provide their members with jobs and opportunities within state administrations";
* "the cessation of the violation of the human rights of Iraqi citizens and their properties by continuous bombardment and military actions by foreign forces";
* "to be rational in political speeches, for the national interest, and to move away from sectarian and ethnic dispute";
* "to bring an end to the displacement of Iraqi people and work to take care of those displaced, and secure their safe return, with guarantees of their safety by the national forces in cooperation with political parties and tribal leaders."
Loading comments… 
http://new
'NI figures boost Iraq peace talks
The al-Askari shrine was damaged in a sectarian bombing in June
Leaders of Iraq's Sunni and Shia factions are to consider a series of principles on non-violen
The discussion
They were chaired by Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein, and former South African government minister Roelf Meyer.
DUP Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson was also involved in the four days of discussion
Mr Donaldson rejected any suggestion the talks had been manipulate
"This was a private initiative very much in the background
"The Iraqis themselves were anxious that they should do this, that they should get help from South Africa and Northern Ireland and that there should be no involvemen
http://www
Press release Monday 3 September 2007
For immediate use
Leading representa
Participan
Brought together by the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachuse
No further informatio
http://www
It sounds as if the Iraqi's are clear in wanting the US out completely - is that the problem here?
Now that we have biofuel - soybean or other vegetable oil - that can run everything that fossil fuel can, why are we still looking for oil in the middle east? Why not grow crops that can be used for our energy purposes?
By landing troops in the middle east and raising hell in the area the oil companies get away with whatever they want including record profits. The oil companies do not want peace, they want to divide and conquer and keep the situation in constant turmoil to justify high prices and megadeath to control the area.
Bush wants a constant impending disaster in the works to justify the suspension of the constituti
The weapons manufactur
Congress must cut off the funding in order to cut off the head of the ugly snake.
These people have been there,,, done that,,, they know from YEARS of experience how hard it is,,, BUT that it can WORK!
Wait!
But this is EXACTLY what Maliki asked for nearly,,,,
A “Truth and Reconcilia
The Dems,, the sane ones asked for this too!
July 2006. A Peace and Reconcilia
WAIT!!!
Geee!! This is what Ahmadineja
But George and THE Neo-conjur
WAIT!!!
Geee, this is what Ahmadineja
OH,,,,, I forgot!
We still had not yet BOMBED IRAN into the Stone Age.
How foolish of ME!
Sheeese!
All the best
Knute (Neo-LIB)
It is simple,,,, who ever has the most Gold, OIL, Opium, Rice, Wood, Iron, Diamonds, Tin, Cobalt, Uranium, there you will find the Neo-Conque
Pro-Busine
No DUH!
Evil is always seen best by its excess.
By the way Tom. Dearest Tom. If you speak to Jane any longer, might you send her my thanks?
NOW that Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush (the lost), Clinton, Bush (the cruel) and about 1000 Generals and all of Congress for 30 years, now agree that Viet Nam was a mistake, waste of time and money, a quagmire, a foolish adventuris
Now that all these,,,, Geniuses,,
Will you PLEASE, PLEASE thank her,,,, for all of us AMERICAN BOYS that made it back home,,,, ALIVE?
No joke, no hype, on my knees with humble thanks and tears in my eyes. For my 4 sons, ALIVE now too, and grandbabie
THANK YOU!
All the best
Knute (Neo-LIB)
Imagine! We have lived to see the day that the presence of the U.S. at a negotiatio
Furthermor
Thanks to Mr. Hayden and huffpo for doing the mainstream medias job for them (and us).......
Thank you for your post. Best of luck to all.
I lived in Britain throughout the Irish "troubles"
There may yet be hope for Iraq - the only problem is - it takes a long long time for them to lay down their arms. It won't be fast or easy, but as long as they persist, as in Northern Ireland, it'll work. And it doesn't solve the problem of GWB and the rest.
At this point, we need miracles. The peace process of SouthAfric
All we can do is pray I guess, and for those of us who don't believe in prayer; well don't hold your breath is all I say.
Good strategy though. Anyone want to bet how long before there is another call for a "surge" to get it to work?