Sunni's threaten January boycott

I'm not informed on the ins and outs of political power in Iraq, and I frequently refer you to Juan Cole for more on the impact of stories like these. As of now, however, he has nothing available on the impact of this report:

Iraq's largest group of Sunni Muslim clerics on Wednesday ordered followers to boycott January's parliamentary elections if US forces don't break off their military campaign in the flash-point city of Fallujah.

The city is now ringed by US Marines and besieged by daily aerial bombardment.

Gathering from across northern and western Iraq at the Umm al Qura mosque outside Baghdad, the clerics in the Muslim Scholars Association, whose followers make up 35 per cent of Iraq's population, called on Arab leaders throughout the Middle East to condemn US actions in Fallujah.

They ruled that Iraqis have a religious duty to fight American-led forces, according to a statement issued from the mosque.

I would think a group that comprises 35% of the population boycotting elections would severely hamper it's legitimacy. It will be interesting to see what developments occur, and I hope Juan Cole will be there to guide us all through it.