Grand Ayatollah Sistani Nixes Maliki's Proposed De-Baathification Law

This is a set back. The NYT is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has let it be known through his assistants that he does not support the current De-Baathification plan proposed by Prime Minister Maliki. That plan, designed to bring Sunni's back into the government fold and stem their support for the insurgency, is a critical component of establishing stability and quelling the violence in Iraq. According to reports, Sistani's voice of displeasure over the law means certain defeat for the measure when it is voted in Parliament. Further, the NYT is reporting that Sistani's veto came after a meeting with an opponent of the bill, Ahmed Chalabi, who apparently used this technique as an end around Maliki and he Parliament. This is not good news. Read the article here.