[JURIST] During a press briefing on Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld [official profile] said Iraq would be making a "terrible mistake" [DoD transcript] if it severely limited women's rights, as hinted by a leaked draft of their new constitution [JURIST report]. In the document, Iraqi women would be severely restricted in personal matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritances. The requirement for 25% representation by women in parliament would seemingly also be scrapped. American and Iraqi officials have said that there are several working drafts, and none have been finalized for approval. The White House National Security Council, unsure of the document's authenticity, declined to comment. Reuters has more.
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