ALLAWI];
Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National
Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi
al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad
al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [Ayatollah
Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Muhammad Ali
al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI];
Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salah ad-Din Muhammad BAHA al-DIN];
National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Sadrist Trend
[Muqtada al-SADR] (not an organized political party, but it fields
independent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-SADR); Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz
al-HAKIM]
note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Tawafuq
Coalition, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and Unified Iraqi
Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the
representatives from the various Iraqi political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
an insurgency against the Government of Iraq and Coalition forces
is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas north, northeast,
and west of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency consists
principally of Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared
desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq; a number
of predominantly Shia militias, some of which are associated with
political parties, challenge governmental authority in Baghdad and
southern Iraq

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
embassy: Baghdad
mailing address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular
Section
FAX: NA

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
three green five-pointed stars in a horizon