Meanwhile, a leading Shiite lawmaker in Iraq has issued a call for a Shiite federal region, just days ahead of that Monday deadline. The remarks by Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim came during a speech to cheering crowds in Najaf. al Hakim endorsed calls for a federated Iraq, saying federalism was needed “to keep a political balance in the country.” The move could pave the way for a Shiite south and a Kurdish north. Those areas contain the lowest Sunni populations and the greatest oil wealth. We’ll have more on Iraq later in the program.