President Jalal Talabani of Iraq issued a bitter rhetorical broadside against other Arab countries Monday, saying they had insulted Iraq by not sending diplomats to Baghdad and by not sending condolence letters about the stampede last week in which nearly 1,000 Shiite pilgrims were killed. (IHT)

RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) conducted an exclusive interview with Sunni Arab drafting-committee member Salih al-Mutlaq in Baghdad on 4 September. Al-Mutlaq discussed the draft constitution, and contended that if certain articles were changed, he and other Sunni Arabs would support the draft when it goes to referendum on 15 October.