Iraq Council, With Reluctant Shiites, Signs Charter
Iraq’s leaders signed an interim constitution on Monday and agreed to embark on a common path toward democratic rule, but the celebratory mood was dampened by calls from the country’s most powerful Shiite leaders to amend the new charter before it goes into force. The signing ceremony for the interim constitution, delayed once because of terrorist attacks and again because of a political deadlock, unfolded without a hitch inside the fortified confines of the American compound. Each of the 25 members of the Iraqi Governing Council signed it or had a representative do so. Full Story