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Iraq

Sadrists to Veto Second al-Maliki Term - Sources

2010-03-30

[Asharq al-Aswat] The Sadrist trend and its leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, who remains in Tehran, are currently being courted by Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya bloc and Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition, as both sides attempt to form a majority government. Delegations from the Iraqiya bloc and the State of Law coalition arrived in Tehran to meet with al-Sadr. Prior to this, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and Vice President Adil Abdul Mahdi, both visited Iran on the eve of the election results, although it was announced that this visit came at the invitation of the Iranian government, and was an invitation for the Kurdish President and Shiite Vice President to participate in the Iranian Nowruz celebrations. Sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that negotiations with the Sadrist trend began before delegations were sent to Iran, and that Karar al-Khafaji, Chief of the Political Committee of the Sadrist Trend, met with a delegation from the State of Law coalition, and has been in communication with the Iraqiya bloc. The Sadrist trend is a member of the Shiite National Iraqi Alliance, which won a total of 70 parliamentary seats at the recent Iraqi elections; however the Sadrist trend won 39 of these seats making it by far the most influential party in this alliance. Senior sources within the Sadrist trend revealed that it is being represented by Qusay al-Suhail in the talks that are taking place in Tehran. Al-Suhail was the Sadrist Prime Ministerial candidate, and is a prominent figure in the trend. As for the State of Law coalition, it has sent Ali al-Adeeb, a senior member of the Dawa Party to negotiate on behalf of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The second State of Law coalition negotiator is former First Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives Sheikh Khalid al-Attiya, although it is not known whether Sheikh al-Attiyia traveled to Tehran with Adeeb, or whether he remains in Iraq. Sources indicate that the Sadrists have so far been successful in managing the negotiation file. A senior member of the Sadrist trend, Nassar al-Rubaie, confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Sadrist trend is not vetoing any prime ministerial candidate. However, senior officials close to al-Sadr contradicted this, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that there is a red line with regards to al-Maliki and that at this stage the Shiite alliance "is more important than names." The sources say that the National Iraqi Alliance is capable of choosing a replacement for al-Maliki "for the ultimate goal." With regards to the National Iraqi Alliance, the Sadrist leadership confirmed that there are certain pre-requisites that cannot be compromised or put aside. One senior Sadrist official who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity said that "the pre-requisites [for forming a majority government] are national partnership in the management of the state, developing institutes on the basis of competence and moving away from quotas and favoritism, and respecting facts and not marginalizing others." For his part, Mohamed al-Bahadli, al-Sadr's chief representative in southern Iraq, told Asharq Al-Awsat that "dialogue between the victorious blocs and the others has begun, and everybody knows that we are not with any component or against any component, we are with everybody in order to establish a partnership government." He added "we do not want to fall into the same mistakes that occurred in the past and which cost the Iraqi people a lot, today we are working to resolve all of these errors through dialogue and developing mechanisms to ensure the political process in a way that puts Iraq at the forefront." While the Shiite movements have turned their attention to Tehran, Baghdad, and Najaf, the Sunni leadership are holding meetings and communicating [in order to form a majority government]. Leader of the Iraqi Accord Front, Iyad al-Samarrai, met with three senior Iraqiya bloc figures in the past 48 hours. Al-Samarrai met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rafi al-Issawi, the leader of the Tajdid List Tariq al-Hashimi, as well as Osama Nujaifi.

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Iraq

Speaker, Issawi discuss coalition building

2010-03-28

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq's outgoing Parliament Speaker Iyad al-Samarraie has met with the deputy prime minister, Rafie al-Issawi, to discuss possible coalitions and the crisis resulting from recent statements by election winners. The officials have discussed the recent developments on the political scene and coalition maps, according to a statement released by Samarraie's Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) and received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The meeting has also tackled means of getting out of the “current crisis', which resulted from statements by winning political blocs, according to the statement. On Friday (March 26), the head of al-Iraqiya List, which won Iraq's parliamentary elections with 91 seats, told al-Sharqiya TV that his list had assigned its candidate, Deputy Premier Rafie al-Issawi, to hold talks with the winning blocs in order to form a new government.

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Iraq

Senior Sunni politician assassinated in Iraq

2009-06-30

[Khaleej Times] A senior Iraqi leader of the Iraqi Islamic party was killed in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, security sources told the German Press Agency dpa on Monday. The source said that a sticky bomb put under the car of Jalil Matar went off as he was coming out of the Ramadi hospital on Sunday evening. Leaders of the Sunni parties, including the Iraqi Islamic Party, the largest Sunni party in Iraq, are a constant target for assassination by military groups operating in Iraq. On June 12, Harith al-Obeidi, the leader of the leader of the Iraqi Accord Front, Iraq's largest coalition of Sunni political parties, was shot dead as he was leaving a mosque where he led the Friday prayers in the western Baghdad neighbourhood of Yarmuk. Separately, two Iraqi policemen died on Monday when a bomb went off near a security check point in Mosul, 400 kilometres north of Baghdad. Two further policemen were wounded.

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Iraq

KA, IAF agree to share leading posts in Diala

2009-02-25

Aswat al-Iraq: The Kurdistan Alliance agreed with the Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) to share the leading posts in Diala, the head of the KA in Diala said on Tuesday. "We have agreed to form a local government in Diala after the announcement of the provincial elections results," Haimen Mansour told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

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Iraq

Dawlat al-Qanoon wins more than one-quarter of provincial council seats

2009-02-20

Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) garnered more than one-quarter of the all 490 in the country's local council, according the Indpendent High Eletoral Commission (IHEC) on Thursday. "Maliki's list achieved matchless victory in Baghdad, where it won more than half all 57 seats, retaining its position in the lead compared to the rest of the blocs in the elections that took place late last month in 14 provinces," the IHEC said in a press conference in the Iraqi capital on Thursday to announce the final results of the elections. "All in all, the Dawlat al-Qanoon list collected 126 seats in 12 out of 14 provinces where local elections were held. The list snatched the top ranking in nine southern provinces in addition to the capital Baghdad," the IHEC said. "The list obtained 28 out of Baghdad's 57 seats, crushing the (Sunni) contender Iraqi Accord Front (IAF), which won seven seats," it said. "Dawlat al-Qanoon also obtained 20 out of Basra's 35 seats, 13 out of Thi-Qar's 31 seats, 13 out of Wassit's 28 seats, 11 out of al-Qadissiya's 28 seats, nine out of Karbala's 27 seats, eight out of Babel's 30 seats and eight out of 27 seats in Missan province, where the Shahid al-Mihrab list of Abdelaziz al-Hakim, the leader of the (Shiite) United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) obtained the same number of seats," the IHEC noted. Maliki's coalition, however, obtained only two out of Diala's 29 seats, ranking fifth, and two seats in Salah al-Din province's local council's 29 seats, it added. Dawlat al-Qanoon returned empty-handed in the provinces of Ninewa and al-Anbar.

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Iraq

Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani behind Iraqi demand for withdrawal timetable

2008-07-12

A strong political debate is being waged in Baghdad on the role the Shiite supreme religious authority in Najaf, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, played in negotiations between Iraq and the US on a memorandum of security. Al Sistani insisted on including a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces. This intervention by Al Sistani has brought to the fore the differences between the major political parties in the Iraqi government. The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim has accepted Al Sistani's demand for a definite timetable for the withdrawal of US forces in Iraq. But the position of the mainly Sunni Iraqi Accord Front and the Kurdish bloc was that the subject of withdrawals was not to be raised in the current negotiations, Kurdish political sources told Gulf News. Mahmoud Othman, leader of the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, told Gulf News: "The Political Council for National Security, which includes the major political blocs in the country, had agreed not to press for a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces, but it seems the call by Al Sistani is the crucial one to determine the progress of the negotiations with the Americans." In some Shiite neighbourhoods in Baghdad people have written slogans on walls reading: "Sistani is the national independence hero". Resentment Al Sistani's intervention has caused resentment among some political parties and the Kurds. They feel vital political decisions need to be made by political parties and not clergy. Al Sistani's position was totally opposed to that of the Kurds who support the long-term presence of the American military. A spokesman for Al Sistani said, however, he did not interfere with the details of the agreement such as a specific timetable. All he did was to call on the Iraqi Government to commit itself to the principle of sovereignty and national independence in any agreement with the Americans, the leader of the Shiite Islamic Council, Hamid Muala Al Saedi, told Gulf News. Sources in Najaf told Gulf News Al Sistani told national security advisor Muwaffaq Al Rubaie when the latter visited him days ago that Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki must remember that the national independence of Iraq should be non-negotiable in Iraqi-US talks. But Iraqi political parties opposed to Iranian influence in Iraq were angered at Al Sistani's attempt to influence the Government. They accused Iran of interfering in the Iraqi-US talks through Al Sistani. Political researcher Amjad Hussain told Gulf News Iran has a "dangerous" denominational influence on Shiite religious authorities in Iraq.

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Iraq

US-Iraqi forces storm Iraqi party in Baghdad

2007-12-23

(KUNA) -- The Iraqi Islamic Party, led by Iraqi Vice-President Tareq al-Hashimi, said here Saturday US-Iraqi forces launched a crackdown on its headquarters in Baghdad on Friday evening. Some 20 firearms were seized by the joint forces during the crackdown on the party head office, the party said in a release handed out here. Helped by several Iraqi army officers, 30 servicemen of the Multi-National Forces in Iraq stormed the party building, tampered with its contents, smashed the doors of its rooms and seized 20 kalashnikovs, according to the release. The Iraqi Islamic Party blamed the Iraqi government for the damage that affected it, calling upon it to put an end to what it billed as "illegal practices". The party also admonished that civil institutions would be violated by anybody unless it played its due role in the protection of such bodies. The party bolted from the incumbent Iraqi government, led by Nouri al-Maliki, but its leader Tarek al-Hashimi still holds the veep post. It is a key component of the Iraqi Accord Front, which has 44 out of a total of 275 parliamentary seats, in addition to General Council for the People of Iraq led by Adnan al-Dulaimi and the Iraqi National Dialogue Council led by Khalaf al-Ulayyan.

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Iraq

Tight security for Eid Al-Adha in Baghdad, 712 insurgents killed in 10 months

2007-12-19

(KUNA) -- The Iraqi authorities have taken a host of tight security measures to avoid any potential attacks against innocent people during the four-day Eid Al-Adha that starts Wednesday. In the meantime, security bodies said that up to 712 insurgents were killed, 5,246 of the wanted were arrested and 6,296 suspects were captured in ten months at the time when 1,859 civilians and 528 police and army personnel were killed. By the same token 4,470 civilians and 3,276 military personnel were wounded over the same period. Spokesman for the Baghdad Security Plan, Enforcing the Law, Brigadier Kassem Attallah said that they had taken due measures for a new security plan during Eid -Al-Adha for providing due protection for the public utilities, religious sites, mosques and parks. He pointed to the achievements realized through the application of the Enforcing the Law Plan which remarkably reduced the total volume of victims. Addressing a press conference in Baghdad, Attallah said that during the Eid vehicles would not be allowed to park in public streets or nears parks. Violators will be prosecuted. Motorcycles and cars will also be banned at crowded areas. Cars will have to be inspected before allowing them into their parks. According to Attallah up to 224 car bombings took place in Baghdad, in addition to 1,239 IED explosions and 122 assassinations took place in the Iraqi capital over the past ten months. Attallah said that 42 from the wanted and suspects of the guards of MP of the Iraqi Accord Front, Adnan Al-Delimi, were referred to court adding that they had received up to 275 complaints from Al-Adl quarter, against the MPs guards.

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Iraq

Sunni lawmaker sacked for joining armed resistance

2007-10-05

Iraqi parliament decided Thursday to sack a Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front legislator after he 'joined the armed resistance and expressed regret to taking part in the political process,' media reports said. After a long debate, the Parliament agreed to dismiss MP Abdul Nasser al-Janabi, and ordered that his party nominate a replacement, independent Voices of Iraq news agency reported. Shiekh Khalid Attiya, the first deputy of the Iraqi parliament, had earlier decided to postpone the decision, saying since al-Janabi had not resigned from the Iraqi Accord Front, the move was 'illegal.' But Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition members rejected efforts to put off the issue and pressed for action against al-Janabi. The session chairman then decided to sack him and ask IAF to nominate a replacement. Al-Janabi was a member of the National Dialogue Council, one of three Sunni organizations that make up the IAF. Al-Janabi had said he 'regretted participating in the political process,' and that he had joined 'the Iraqi resistance.' Separately, the IAF's spokesman Selim al-Jaburi said Thursday that US forces detained the front's MP Naif Jassim while he was at a wake along with other mourners. Al-Jaburi local media reports that Jassim was arrested at an al- Qaeda terrorist network meeting in Sharqat town in Salahaddin province, 175 kilometres north of Baghdad. Al-Jaburi called on the US military to release Jassim immediately. More details: Baghdad, 5 Oct. (AKI) - Iraqi MP Nayf Jasem Muhammad is among 24 suspected militants arrested during a US raid on an alleged al-Qaeda cell outside Baghdad. According to the Arab newspaper, al-Sharq al-Awsat, the Sunni parliamentarian was in reality a member of al-Qaeda. The US offensive focused on a summit meeting of a local cell of the terrorist organisation on Thursday. Intelligence sources said the meeting was to elect a new leader following the death of Sabah Abdel Rahman al-Ayush who was killed by US forces in a clash a few days ago. The MP, a member of the main Sunni political party, the National Concord Front, was arrested with 23 other terrorists including one reportedly responsible for financing the local cell which is believed to have raised more than a billion dollars from Jihadi sympathisers. Having MPs linked to al-Qaeda could show how the terrorist network has succeeded in getting around security measures imposed in Baghdad in recent years. The Sunni Iraqi National Accord Front occupies 44 seats in the 275-seat Iraqi parliament. The front was founded by three Sunni parties: the Iraqi Islamic Party, the General Council for the People of Iraq and the Iraqi National Dialogue Council.

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Iraq

Iraqi Islamic Party dismisses minister of planning

2007-09-15

The Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) announced Friday dismissal of Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation Ali Baban against the backdrop of the latter's non-compliance with the decision of the Sunni Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) to boycott government. Baban reneged on his pledge to comply with the IAF decision to boycott the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and resumed his duties," the IIP said in a statement received by KUNA here. "He disregarded the fact that he was one of the makers of the boycott decision. Baban's move goes counter to the national interests of Iraq. He could raise his new grounds and justifications, if he had any, during the meetings of the IAF meetings. We can not accept such move from an IIP member especially after we preferred him (Baban) to other members and nominated him to the his post," the statement pointed out. The decision to dismiss Baban was unanimously adopted by the IIP politburo, the statement concluded. Earlier in the day, the IAF regretted Baban's decision to resume his duties as minister in the cabinet of Nouri Al-Maliki. In a statement, the front said the "disappointing personal decision" decision would not influence the IAF 's boycott decision. Baban returned to Al-Maliki's cabinet on Thursday, arguing that his boycott affected implementation of several key projects. He said at a news conference that he believed that the higher national interests should be placed above all partisan or political considerations. The IAF contested Baban's argument, saying Al-Maliki's government had been ineffective for some time and its failure to perform properly prompted millions of Iraqis to flee to neighboring countries. At least 15 ministers, including five IAF members, quitted the government in August.

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Iraq

Weekly Wrapup in Iraq (State Dept.)

2007-05-04

AQI Security Emir Killed: • In an operation conducted April 20, Coalition forces killed Muhammad Abdullah Abbas al-Issawi, also known as Abu Abd al-Sattar and Abu Akram, an al-Qaida terrorist leader who operated in the Karmah and Amariya areas and was the al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) Security Emir of the eastern Anbar province. • Abu Abd al-Sattar had links to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and was reported to have been in contact with him from late 2004 until Zarqawi’s death in 2006. He was also a weapons supplier to insurgent forces and had links to the recent surge in chlorine Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) attacks across Iraq. Additional reports also indicate that his VBIED cell used 12- to 13-year-old children in suicide VBIED attacks. Iraq Civilian Deaths Down in April: • According to numbers compiled by the Iraqi Interior, Defense, and Health ministries, violence against Iraqi civilians dropped nearly 20% in April with 1,506 civilians killed, down from 1,861 in March. The drop is largely attributable to the ongoing Operation Fardh al-Qanun and the increased security operations aimed to reduce sectarian violence in the capital and surrounding areas. • This increased operational tempo, greater numbers of U.S. troops on the streets, and the move from large, more secure Forward Operating Bases to smaller combat outposts and patrol bases in Iraqi neighborhoods also contributed to April being the deadliest month in Iraq for the U.S. military in Iraq so far in 2007, with over 100 U.S. troops killed. Sunni Bloc Threatens to Pull Ministers: • The largest bloc of Sunni Arabs in the Iraqi parliament threatened to withdraw its ministers from the Shia-dominated Cabinet in frustration over the Iraqi government’s failure to deal with Sunni concerns. President Bush called one of Iraq’s two vice presidents, Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni Arab, and invited him to Washington in an attempt to forestall the withdrawal. • The bloc, known as the Iraqi Accord Front (Tawafuq) and made up of three Sunni Arab parties, claimed in a statement that they have “lost hope in rectifying the situation despite all of its sincere and serious efforts to do so.” Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Seeks to Work Out Differences on Oil Law: • Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said May 1 that he was confident a draft oil law will be approved in parliament after officials from the central government and Kurdistan meet to iron out differences. • Kurdish lawmakers had planned to oppose U.S.-backed legislation to regulate Iraq’s oil industry and some Sunni legislators have also raised objections, saying the oil law would give foreigners too great a role in the country’s oil industry. So, take a lesson from the Hugo playbook, and nationalize it later. Hugo learned it from Nassar and Castro. Iran Says Earmarks $1 Billion Credits for Iraqi Projects: • Speaking in Najaf, Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Council, announced that his country has earmarked $1 billion in credits for Iraqi projects and pledged support for Iraqi reconstruction. The Mad Mullahs destroyeth, and the Mad Mullahs giveth away. Ministry of Industry & Minerals Participation in Training and Certification for ISO 9000: ISO 9000 Certification is no small task! • The Ministry of Industry & Minerals has announced that it is planning to have important State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) certified and made compliant to ISO 9000 quality standards. The certification process would allow for contracting opportunities in international trade where ISO 9000 is a prerequisite. This move could also enhance the SOEs’ prospective investment potential to international strategic partners if they become available for privatization. • The Ministry of Oil and Minerals manages 59 SOEs, including over 200 factories in six industrial sectors: Petrochemicals, Cement and Construction Materials, Engineering and Heavy Industry, Textiles, Food & Drug, and Industrial Services. Hill Conference on FY07 Supplemental Has Concluded: • The House-Senate Conference on the FY07 supplemental bill has concluded. The supplemental bill appropriates over $2 billion for economic reconstruction and other related programs in Iraq. CCCI Convicts 41: Bad week to be a convicted terrorist in Iraq. • The Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) convicted 41 individuals April 1-14 for violations of the Iraqi Terrorist Law, Penal Code, and Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Orders enforced by the Iraqi judiciary. • CCCI sentenced four individuals to death after being found guilty of violations of Iraq’s Terrorist Law. The convicted individuals were charged with participating and planning terrorist operations. • The trial court sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment after being found guilty of violating Iraq’s Terrorist Law and 14 individuals were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for violating CPA Order 3/2003, possession of illegal weapons. One individual was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for violating Article 194 of the Iraqi Penal Code, organizing, heading, leading or joining an armed group. • Since its establishment under an amendment to CPA Order 13, in April 2004, the Central Criminal Court has held 2,084 trials for suspected criminals apprehended by Coalition forces. The Iraqi Court proceedings have resulted in the conviction of 1,788 individuals with sentences ranging from imprisonment to death. UN Secretary-General in Egypt to Launch International Compact with Iraq: • United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will co-launch with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki the International Compact with Iraq in Sharm al-Shaik, Egypt May 3. • The International Compact with Iraq is a five-year national plan that includes benchmarks and mutual commitments from both Iraq and the international community, all with the aim of helping Iraq on the path towards peace, sound governance and economic reconstruction. Benchmarks! Hear that, Harry? New Zealand Pledges Support to Assist Iraqi Refugees: • New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced his country’s plan to donate $1 million to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to feed, house and protect Iraqi refugees. Japan Reaffirms Support for Reconstruction and Airlift Operations: • Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma visited the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida April 29 and assured the U.S. military that Japan will continue to support reconstruction efforts in Iraq through extending the deployment of Japanese air troops for airlift operations. Radio Veteran Survives Assassination Attempt: • Amal Mudarris, 58, survived an assassination attempt April 29. The Baghdad radio veteran suffered serious head injuries when she was shot several times outside her Baghdad home the morning of April 29. Doctors said later in the day that her condition had stabilized and she was expected to recover. The evening of April 29, Iraqi television aired footage of Mudarris in a hospital recovery room. I assume, since the Orcs tried to off her, that she must have some integrity.

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Iraq

Maliki's position shaky as Baghdad leadership splits

2007-04-18

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has his back against the wall. Last month, 15 members of the Fadhila party left the Shiite Alliance - al-Maliki's most important power base. Later, all six ministers of the movement led by the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr left the government. Now al-Maliki has been forced to dismiss Defence Minister Abdul Kader al-Obeidi - a Sunni. Otherwise, the Iraqi Accord Front, which with 44 seats is the strongest party in parliament, threatened to withdraw its seven ministers as well as Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubai. This would have meant the final break-up of the government. 'Al-Maliki will remain in office for another few months at most,' politicians were speculating at the Arab Summit in Riyadh in late March, where Iraq was represented by two Kurdish politicians - President Jalal Talabani and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. In fact, the Shiite prime minister is increasingly struggling to juggle US strategy, the power interests of rival Shiite parties, the influence of Iran, the Kurdish strive for independence and the constant criticism from dissatisfied Sunnis. Officially, the Sadr movement has justified its resignation from the government with al-Maliki's refusal to provide a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. But there is another reason why the Sadr followers are distancing themselves from the prime minister. In February and after hesitating for a long time, al- Maliki finally succumbed to pressure from Washington. Since then, US troops and the British military can more or less do as they wish in raids and attacks on the Sadr movement's militia. The US and Iraqi Sunnis have accused the Mahdi Army of murdering thousands of Sunnis solely on the basis of their religious beliefs. At the same time, a new front is opening in Basra. In the southern Iraqi oil city, a serious power struggle has broken out between the various Shiite parties, in which the alliances are not entirely clear. The only thing that is certain is that the Fadhila party, which supplies the governor of the city and is steering an independent course in Baghdad as well as Basra, is coming increasingly under pressure. Al-Maliki was selected as prime minister after the parliamentary elections in December 2005 because he seemed to be a centrist. Unlike other members of the Shiite majority, he does not have a particularly close relationship with Tehran. His Dawa party also has fewer armed men than the Sadr movement or the third largest Shiite party, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Yet, by now hardly anyone believes that the present government will last much longer. On the one hand, because more than 500 civilians have been murdered or blown up in Baghdad over the past two months despite the new security plan. On the other hand, because the US Democrats are exerting pressure on President George W Bush over the Iraq dilemma, which might finally mean that al-Maliki will have to leave.

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