‘Allawi's Party Suspends Talks

‘Iyad ‘Allawi's ‘Iraqiyya Bloc in Iraq has suspended talks about a coalition government between itself and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law Alliance, after Maliki reportedly called ‘Iraqiyya a Sunni bloc. It insists it is multi-sectarian (‘Allawi is a Shi‘ite).

After five months of stalemate, the failure to form a coalition threatens to cast a shadow over the US effort to emphasize the end of its combat role in Iraq by the end of August. (Of course the distinction between "combat troops" and training troops is a fine one, but it allows the US President to claim he has fulfilled a campaign promise.)

‘Allawi's bloc one 91 seats in Parliament, Maliki's 89.