An Iraqi policeman prevents reporters from shooting the scene of the killing. Gunmen brutally killed three Sunnis tasked with writting Iraq's new constitution in Baghdad, July 19. (Xinhua/AFP photo)

    The three, all Sunni Arabs, were gunned down in broad daylight in central Baghdad when gunmen sprayed their car with bullets near the al-Azaeim restaurant, Salih al-Mutlak, spokesman of the Sunni National Dialogue Council, told Xinhua.

    The three all died in the car and their clothes soaked with blood, he said.

    "Mejbil al-Sheikh Issa, Aziz Ibrahim and Dhamin Hassan al-Ubaidi, who represent the Sunni Arabs among others, were killed Tuesday afternoon," Mutlak said, adding that Issa and Ubaidi were picked by the council for the constitutional committee, which earlier brought 15 Sunni members and 10 advisors on board as required by the Sunni community.

    Mutlak threatened a Sunni Arab walkout in the political process after the killing.

    "We demand that the government rapidly hunt down the killers, otherwise we may withdraw from drafting the constitution," Mutlak said.

Police pull the bodies of three Sunnis from the car. (Xinhua/AFP photo)

    Outraged by the drive-by shooting in the countdown to finalization of the charter, Parliament Speaker Hajem al-Hassani has sent condolences to families of the victims, saying "those who carried out these crimes want to spread sectarian divisions."

    The assassination was the first against the 71-member committee,which is to submit a draft permanent constitution by Aug. 15.

    The killing also dented a euphoria shared by President Talabani and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi that the committee could finish its job by the end of this month if they were able to overcome disagreements over outstanding issues.

    "The committee is working on the constitution and about to complete it by the end of the current month," Talabani said after a meeting with Allawi, now a leader of the opposition in the parliament, just hours before the bloodshed.

    Talabani said the committee has made a good progress "but there are some Arab brothers who have some reservations that are under discussion," referring to the Sunni Arabs who were at odds with Kurds and Shiites over the definition of federalism.

    Some Sunni Arab members in the constitutional committee rejectedautonomy guarantees given to the Kurds as a threat to national unity.

    The draft is due to be put for a national referendum by Oct. 15,according to the Transitional Administrative Law, which stands as an interim constitution for the country.

    Allawi, a secular Shiite, called for the interim constitution, which was approved before Iraq regained the power from the US occupation authorities on June 28, 2004, to be the basis for the permanent constitution.

    However, some Shiite Islamic parties are opposed to limiting therole of the Islamic law as stipulated in the interim constitution. nditem