Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !

Iraq

Iraqi vice president resigns in sign of infighting

2011-06-01

[Arab News] One of Iraq's deputy presidents has stepped down, a top Shiite leader said on Monday, a sign of divisions in the coalition government formed by Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions. Adel Abdul-Mahdi's resignation came as Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki fends off critics who say he has not delivered on power-sharing promises since forming a fragile multisectarian government in December after nine months of political deadlock. Ammar Al-Hakim, the leader of the Iranian-backed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI), said Abdul-Mahdi, a senior Shiite politician in ISCI, had presented his resignation but it had yet to be approved by President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd. "We were supposed to present this resignation before, but the president was abroad, so once he came back the resignation was submitted to him," Hakim said. Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite, was one of three deputies appointed by Parliament this month to the government led by Al-Maliki. Hakim said he hoped the resignation would prompt others to follow suit to reduce the size of the government. There have been divisions among the Shiite allies. The vice president's post is largely symbolic as it carries no real power but it was a part of the power sharing deal between Iraq's political factions to form the government. Abdul-Mahdi's departure is unlikely to pressure the coalition, which still has the backing of most other Shiite blocs in the government, including the powerful Sadrist bloc with 39 seats in Parliament. But it highlights increasing political wrangling in Iraq as US troops prepare to withdraw by the end of the year. Opposition leaders are already seeking to pressure Al-Maliki, who faces a self-imposed early June deadline to show progress to Iraqis demanding much-needed basic services after years of war and violence. More than eight years after the US-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraqis complain their governments have not done enough to resolve day-to-day problems such as supplying electricity and creating jobs. The Sunni-backed Iraqiya alliance, led by former premier Iyad Allawi, also criticizes Maliki for failing to form a national advisory body Allawi was meant to head and delaying the naming of key posts such as the defense and interior ministries. Iraq was ravaged by sectarian violence unleashed by the invasion. Overall violence has dropped sharply from the dark days of sectarian slaughter in 2006-07, but attacks by beturbanned goons and Shiite militia continue daily.

Link

Iraq

Hakim, U.S. amb. discuss speeding up govt. formation

2010-09-27

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council Leader Ammar al-Hakim met on Sunday with U.S. ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey and deliberated over efforts exerted by the Iraqi political blocs to accelerate formation of a new government, according to the SIIC web site. “Hakim emphasized the importance of forming a genuine national partnership government that excludes no part of the active actors on the Iraqi political chessboard,” the SIIC web site said. Differences among political blocs reached their zenith between the main two blocs, al-Iraqiya of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and the State of Law of incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, with the first obtaining 91 out of the new parliament’s 325 seats while the second obtained 89. The State of Law formed a coalition with the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) to garner the largest number of seats in the new parliament. This claim was rejected by al-Iraqiya bloc, which argued that it had been the winner of the largest number of seats in the parliament and that it has the right to form the new government. Iraq’s March 7 nationwide elections had ended with four main Iraqi political blocs obtaining most seats, as Iraqiya won 91 seats, followed by Maliki’s State of Law with 89 seats, Ammar Al-Hakim’s INA with 70 seats and the Kurdistan Alliance of Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani as well as a number of Kurdish Islamic parties with 57 seats.

Link

Iraq

Sadr Group support former Prime Minister Allawi for new PM's post:

2010-08-24

Aswat al-Iraq - A Member of the Iraqi parliament, representing Al-Iraqiya List, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has announced today that the Sadrist movement, led by Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, has expressed support for Dr. Allawi's nomination for the post of prime minister in the next Iraqi government. "The Sadr Movement has expressed their approval to nominate Dr. Iyad Allawi for the new prime minister's post and the formation of the future government, whilst our negotiations with the Movement have reached advanced phases and their resultss have been positive and fruitful," MP Ziyad Al-Darb told Aswat Al-Iraq News Agency. Al-Darb said that Al-Iraqiya List's contacts with Al-Fadeela Party, led by its Secretary General Hashim Al-Hashimi and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), led by Ammar Al-Hakim, "are expected to be settled within one week from now." The Iraqi political arena is witnessing continuous differences in viewpoints among the main lists that won the nationwide elections that took place in Iraq in March, 2009, particularly regarding their competition to win the new prime minister's post and the formation of the forthcoming government, mainly between the largest two winners in the elections, Al-Iraqiya Bloc and the State of Law Bloc, despite fact that none of the two blocs have achieved the parliamentary majority that assign it to form the new government alone. The new parliament's sessions have been postponed several times, an event that was considered as "violation of the constitutional period allowed in this respect to elect a new parliament speaker, his two deputies and a new President." With regards to the nomination of outgoing Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, for a second prime minister's term, MP Al-Darb said, "The new U.S. Ambassador, Jeffrey, has a new vision that differs from his predecessor, Christopher Hill, towards the political process in Iraq..He wishes to see the unification of Al-Iraqiya bloc with the State of Law bloc in one united coalition to form the new government, whoever the prime minister might be; and he does not oppose the formation of the next government by Al-Iraqiya bloc." Speaking about the intention of the assignment of the new prime minister's post for the Shiite sect and no other sect, Al-Darb said, "The Constitution had not included a condition that the prime minister's post be assigned for a certain sect..It has reiterated that the winning list of the largest number of votes, in this case being Al-Iraqiya, is to form the new government." Regarding the situation of the National Alliance between the State of Law and the Iraqi National Alliance, Al-Darb said, "The Alliance had been fragile and it had failed to present a certain candidate for the new prime minister's post." A source, representing the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council had told Aswat Al-Iraq last Friday that the Sadr Trend had been exerting efforts to convince the nomination of the leader in Al-Iraqiya Alliance, Mohammed Allawi, to hold the new prime minister's post, if both alliances would agree on his nomination.

Link

Iraq

Kurdistan blocs delegation in Baghdad on Saturday

2010-08-07

ARBIL / Aswat al-Iraq: A delegation of the Kurdistan blocs will arrive in Baghdad on Saturday to start officials negotiations with the Iraqi blocs to from the government, a well-informed source said on Friday. “The delegation will return to Baghdad on Saturday (Aug. 7) to start official negotiations with al-Iraqiya Alliance, Dawlat al-Qanoon and the Iraqi National Alliance to form the new government,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The political chessboard in Iraq has been experiencing non-stop differences among the key blocs that won seats in the March 2010 legislative elections over the premiership and the government formation, namely between Maliki’s Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) and former Premier Iyad Allawi’s al-Iraqiya bloc. Several parliament sessions were postponed while the set constitutional deadline to election a new speaker and a president of a republic was breached. The elections saw al-Iraqiya winning 91 seats, followed by Maliki’s State of Law with 89 seats, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), which comprises Ammar al-Hakim’s Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), Muqtada al-Sadr’s Movement and Fadila (Virtue) Party, with 70 seats and the Kurdistan Alliance (KA) with 57 seats. The results prompt coalitions of several parties to guarantee a required majority at the 325-seat parliament in order to form a government.

Link

Iraq

Decision to form govt. would be Iraqi one, Maliki sez

2010-08-02

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stressed during a meeting with a U.S. White House delegation on Sunday that the decision to form a new government would be purely Iraqi away from any foreign interferences, according to a statement by his office. “Prime Minister Maliki received today (Aug. 1) a White House delegation and had talks over bilateral relations between the two countries and means to activate the strategic framework agreements,” read the statement as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The delegation expressed the United States’ readiness to back the efforts exerted by the Iraqi political blocs to form a government,” it added. The political chessboard in Iraq has been experiencing non-stop differences among the key blocs that won seats in the March 2010 legislative elections over the premiership and the government formation, namely between Maliki’s Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) and former Premier Iyad Allawi’s al-Iraqiya bloc. Several parliament sessions were postponed while the set constitutional deadline to election a new speaker and a president of a republic was breached. The elections saw al-Iraqiya winning 91 seats, followed by Maliki’s State of Law with 89 seats, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), which comprises Ammar al-Hakim’s Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), Muqtada al-Sadr’s Movement and Fadila (Virtue) Party, with 70 seats and the Kurdistan Alliance (KA) with 57 seats. The results prompt coalitions of several parties to guarantee a required majority at the 325-seat parliament in order to form a government.

Link

Iraq

Hakeem: Bridges still stretched with Iraqiya

2010-05-29

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakeem, the head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), said on Friday that bridges are still stretched with al-Iraqiya bloc while in the process of building alliances with the Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) and Kurdistan Alliance (KA). Hakeem, also the leader of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) bloc, called on all political blocs to lower the ceilings of their demands and sit at a roundtable to discuss ways to accelerate the formation of a government. “Consultations are underway inside the INA to forge optimal stances and consider steps that would help lead to formation of a new government,' Hakeem told a gathering of Feyli Kurds at al-Mansour Hotel in Baghdad on Friday. Feylis are a group of Shiite Kurds who had been the target for organized displacement to Iran during the 1980s on the pretext that they belong to Iran. The former regime had confiscated their property, money and stores. “When we speak of a national partnership then we have to lay a roadmap for national bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral alliances, which are the only the outcome of such meetings, contacts and views,' said Hakeem.

Link

Iraq

SIIC big calls on blocs to form ‘partnership' govt.

2010-04-03

MISSAN / Aswat al-Iraq: Political blocs should form a “partnership' Iraqi government, Sayyid Ammar al-Hakeem, head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), said on Friday from Amara city. “Political blocs should join roundtable meetings to serve Iraq not to talk about posts,' Hakeem said in a speech addressed to his supporters in the city. Although the SIIC is part of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), the bloc that ranked third in Iraq's recent parliamentary election with 71 seats, Sayyid Hakeem noted that no entity lost the election. “The INA is the winner because it brings other blocs together to form the government,' he added. Missan province has 10 representatives in the new Iraqi parliament. Six of them are from the INA. Amara, the capital city of Missan province, lies 390 km south of Baghdad.

Link

Iraq

SCIIRI open to alliance with Allawi

2010-04-02

[Al Arabiya Latest] A leading Iraqi Shiite party said on Thursday it will not join any Iraqi government without Iyad Allawi, a move that could boost the chances of the election winner of becoming a prime minister. Ammar Hakim, head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI), said his party, with strong ties to Iran, was open to an alliance with Allawi's cross-sectarian Iraqiya list. The close election results have promised weeks or months of difficult and potentially divisive talks to form a government. Iraqis had hoped the vote would stabilize the country after years of war. ISCI is part of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), which finished third in the March 7 parliamentary election. Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr heads INA's other major faction. "Putting pressure on Iraqiya is putting pressure on a major part of our (Iraqi) people. We will not take part in any upcoming government without the Iraqiya slate being there," Hakim said in remarks made late on Wednesday and broadcast on Thursday on ISCI's television station. Iraqiya finished first with 91 seats and the State of Law coalition of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki trailed with 89. Maliki's coalition is locked in merger talks with Sadr's faction. A deal could lead to the combined group forming the largest bloc in parliament and sidelining Allawi. Hakim rejected allegations that Allawi, a secular Shiite who was prime minister in 2004-2005, had ties to former members of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath Party. "I can't guarantee all the winning candidates for Iraqiya, but I can confirm that Iraqiya as a slate is not Baathist," Hakim said. A de-Baathification panel has barred six Iraqiya candidates who won seats.

Link

Iraq

Iran casts its shadow over high-stakes Iraq vote

2010-03-04

As the U.S. prepares to withdraw its forces from Iraq, Iran is said to be working hard to fill a potential power vacuum — an effort that faces its first big test in Sunday's elections, in which Tehran is backing hard-liners against a coalition of moderates. Shiite Iran already has reliable allies in Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Gaza's Hamas, and a free rein in Iraq would broaden its regional leverage, unnerving Israel and potentially diminishing the clout of Sunni powerhouses like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. But it is Iran's alleged political meddling — what U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill called its "malevolent involvement" — that most troubles U.S and Iraqi officials. According to a senior Iraqi government security official with access to intelligence reports, it was Iranian influence that brought about the election alliance between two avowed Shiite rivals — the Sadrists who follow Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric believed to be living in Iran, and the Iranian-backed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.

Link

Iraq

Iraq cleric urges Baath ban as controversy rages

2010-01-16

[Al Arabiya Latest] A senior Shiite Muslim cleric on Friday defended a panel's decision to bar almost 500 candidates from Iraq's next election because of ties to Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party, likening the party to the Nazis. As a controversy threatening to reopen the wounds of Iraq's sectarian divide deepened, Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI) lawmaker Mohammad al-Haidari called for the ban to be enforced. "The Baath party is worse than the Nazi party," Haidari said in a speech during Friday prayers. "Like the Nazis, only without their warmth and humanity." "If Baathists return to power, God forbid, their revenge will be even more ferocious." The Justice and Accountability Commission, an independent body that aims in part to ensure the Baath party does not return to public life, said last week that 15 parties should be prevented from standing in the Mar. 7 election. The list included prominent Sunni leader Saleh al-Mutlaq, generating widespread protests from once dominant Sunnis that Iraq's majority Shiites were trying to sideline them. Tens of thousands of Iraqis died in the sectarian warfare between Shiites and Sunnis that was unleashed by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The conflict has subsided, but violent attacks by suspected Sunni Islamists remain common. The parliamentary election in March is a key test of Iraq's growing stability as U.S. troops prepare to withdraw by end-2011 and the government signs oilfield development contracts that could turn the war-shattered country into a top oil producer. The list of barred candidates grew to 499 on Thursday -- out of 6,500 in total -- when it was upheld by Iraq's independent electoral commission. It would grow even longer after ministries submitted their own lists of candidates who should be barred for other reasons, such as for forging university degrees or because of criminal records, said election commission member Hamdiya al-Husseini. The Baath party is outlawed in the constitution. But many Sunnis see the effort to ban candidates with Baathist links as a conspiracy by the Shiite-led government to disenfranchise Sunnis, a view that could feed the lingering insurgency.

Link

Iraq

Al-Qaeda Attempted To Kill al-Hakim

2009-09-28

[Iran Press TV Latest] Iraqi security forces have reportedly thwarted an assassination attempt targeting the leader of Iraq's largest Shia party, Ammar al-Hakim. Al-Qaeda-linked militants sought to gun down the high-ranking Shia figure during Eid al-Fitr prayers at a mosque in Baghdad last Monday. The plot was nonetheless foiled since intelligence forces at the Iraqi Intelligence Ministry had earlier been tipped off, an unnamed source at Hakim's bureau was quoted by eyeiraq news agency as saying. The source added that the Iraqi police subsequently raided suspected houses in Baghdad's southwestern Sunni neighborhood of al-Bayaa and apprehended an insurgent guilty of the failed scenario. Two other members of the terrorist cell remain at large. Bombs, light weaponry as well as explosive devices were recovered from their hideout. Ammar al-Hakim took over the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council after the death of his influential father, Abdulaziz al-Hakim last month in Iran where he had been receiving treatment for lung cancer.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi Shiite leader appeals for unity before vote

2009-09-21

The leader of Iraq's largest Shiite party sought Monday to shore up political support before January's elections, urging his rivals to join him and resist what he called threats to their unity. The push by Ammar al-Hakim, who took over the Iranian-backed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council after the death of his influential father last month, is trying to repair a split between the main Shiite parties that came to dominate Iraq's government after Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003. His appeal Monday during a sermon for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr was aimed at Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who said he would withdraw his Shiite Dawa party from its alliance with SIIC and run with his own bloc in the Jan. 16 parliamentary elections. "Uniting our position is the most urgent need, and we will still work to accomplish this unity," al-Hakim told worshippers at an outdoor prayer service in Baghdad. "It is the right of our people to expect that." The death of al-Hakim's father from lung cancer came at an especially critical moment for the Shiite political forces whose rise to power has often irked the country's Sunni Muslim population. Although a minority in Iraq, Sunnis enjoyed the trappings of power under decades of Saddam's Sunni-led regime. Some have questioned whether the relatively inexperienced 38-year-old al-Hakim can bridge the division among the Shiites. Just two days before his father's death, the Supreme Council announced the formation of a new political bloc called the Iraqi National Alliance to contest the parliamentary elections. It also includes followers of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Maliki, whose part is already allied with SIIC, however, refused to take his party into the new alliance because of differences over the allocation of power and a desire to reach out to more prominent Sunnis and Kurds. "We are working today to widen our Iraqi National Alliance to include the most political powers we can who are ready to work under this tent," al-Hakim said "There are efforts being made by some inside Iraq and outside aimed at fragmenting our unity," he said, without elaborating. In another sign of outreach to the prime minister, al-Hakim backed the idea an international tribunal to try those responsible for bombings and other attacks in Iraq. The prime minister called for such a tribunal after Aug. 19 bombings of government ministries that he has blamed on Saddam loyalists living in Syria. In his second public speech since taking over the party leadership, al-Hakim also reached out to voters directly, saying he would provide Iraqis with more reliable electricity and water services if his alliance leads the next government. "Today, in the country of the two rivers, drinkable water ... has become only a dream for some Iraqis," al-Hakim said. Iraq is also known as the land between two rivers, a reference to the Euphrates and the Tigris. Al-Hakim's Supreme Council is also trying to recover from an embarrassing defeat in Jan. 31 provincial elections in the oil-rich south due to voter backlash against religious parties. Al-Maliki's party, however, surged ahead there because of his popularity from security gains.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More