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At a Crossroads

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In the shadow of a devastating war, Sunni and Shiite Arabs and ethnic Kurds wrestled for control over Iraq as a powerful Western occupier offered elections as a way to restore order. One side supported the vote. Another was largely overlooked. A third group boycotted, betting that the new regime would collapse without its support.

It could be modern-day Iraq, but the time was the early 1920s, when Shiites revolted against British rulers and made a fateful decision to abstain from the formation of a new Iraqi government. Sunni Arabs seized power, Kurds were pushed aside, and the majority Shiites languished in the political desert for more than 80 years.

As Iraq approaches another turning point with the election scheduled for Jan. 30, deep memories of past wrongs, lost power and ancient rivalries are stirring among the three major groups, who view the vote for a transitional national assembly through the prism of their distinct historical experiences.

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See stories, Pages A12-13

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