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Iraq
Former Iraqi VP Tariq al-Hashemi endorses the Turkish operation in northern #Syria and says the goals of Turkey are ‘noble’
2019-10-13
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Related:
Tariq al-Hashemi: 2012-12-29 Iraq-Kurdish Relations Go from Bad to Worse
Tariq al-Hashemi: 2012-09-10 Iraq vice president sentenced to death in abstentia
Tariq al-Hashemi: 2012-06-26 Two separate blasts kill 12 in Iraq
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Iraq
Iraq-Kurdish Relations Go from Bad to Worse
2012-12-29
Day after day, the belief strengthens that the possibility for a peaceful resolution (or at least containment) of the crisis between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have grown remote, if not altogether vanished. The signs pointing to escalation outnumber those pointing to a truce or cooling down. Regardless of whether the ongoing escalation will lead to an all-out armed confrontation between the two sides or not, the vanishing of opportunities for a peaceful resolution may be attributed to a number of reasons. Here we highlight four of them.

Firstly and principally: the complete breakdown of trust between the two sides at the very highest levels, namely, Prime Minister and head of the ‘State of Law’ coalition Nouri al-Maliki, and the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Massoud Barzani. Trust has broken down not least because of the direct accusations and blunt statements to be hurled by both sides, whether from the leaders themselves or from their close associates.

In a recent statement, Maliki expressed the view that current events in Iraq’s various regions and the nature of the statements coming out of KRG officials do not signal a sincere desire to resolve the nation’s difficulties through dialogue. In a semi-official statement by the "State of Law" coalition released roughly the same time, one finds a string of accusations directed against Barzani. The statement claims that Barzani violated the constitution and “all Iraqi laws” when he sheltered Tariq al-Hashemi, a criminal wanted on charges of terrorism.

As for the regions under the control of the KRG, the leadership of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) led by Barzani said that Maliki is encouraging an ethnic conflict between Arabs and Kurds, and accused him of being the first Iraqi prime minister preparing the army for war and internal conflict. Further emphasizing the total, or near-total, breakdown in trust is the ongoing military buildup by both sides in the disputed territories — or what the Kurds have taken to calling the “regions cut off from the KRG,” while the central government refers to them as “the mixed regions.”

Another reason lies in the sharp polarization and new alignments. Talabani who, along with his party had been sympathetic to Maliki and closely allied with him, suddenly lined up with Barzani. So too did the Kurdish Movement for Change, under the leadership of Nawshirwan Mustafa, along with the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Islamic Union. As a result, Barzani can now legitimately claim to speak on behalf of the Kurdish consensus. One might add to the above groups various political centers of power and Turkmen tribes in Kirkuk as well as in other regions that have adopted a KRG-friendly position. In contrast, Maliki was able to draw social and political forces from outside his parliamentary bloc and its partisan satellites. They encouraged him to adopt a more extreme and unyielding position toward the Kurds. The latter are viewed in many circles — both Arab and non-Arab — as having endless demands and limitless ambitions.

Money began to flow from some parties to others in order to secure the necessary military and logistic capabilities, as well as to win more supporters in the political sphere, the media, and the public. The outside parties did not intervene in order to reach a resolution, but to support one of the two parties in this crisis and weaken the other. Their goal is to weaken the effectiveness and diminish the influence of those parties that desire to find a peaceful resolution and realistic settlement with minimum loss and strife. Since the Iraqi government has adopted positions that seemed supportive of the Syrian regime and in line with Iran’s own stance, regional and international actors began to incite against the current government and support its rivals in order to weaken it. Indeed, perhaps the recurring political and media leaks about Ankara and Doha’s intervention in the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil are both plausible and rational. The further the crisis in Syria deepens and heads in the direction of grave deterioration, so too does the political polarization in Iraq, intensified by external factors and influences.

The final reason for the diminishing or collapsing opportunities to resolve the latest lies in the unfortunate reality that this crisis is not, in fact, the first of its kind. Rather, it is the product of a number of crises that have cumulatively built up over the last ten years. Indeed, some of those prior crises have roots extending back decades. This is to say nothing of the intricate problems and crises stemming from the legitimate differences of opinion concerning the administration of the state, how its policies are determined and its order of priorities enumerated.

Even if the proximate cause were defused, this would not lead to the defusing of other crises. And even if this were achieved, it would only hold for a short period of time.
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Iraq
Iraq vice president sentenced to death in abstentia
2012-09-10
A Baghdad court sentenced in absentia Sunday Iraq's vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, to death on terrorism charges, a judge said, DPA reported.

Al-Hashemi, who left the country before the trial began on May 3, was charged with running a death squad and involvement in the assassination of security officials and a lawyer. Al-Hashemi, Iraq's most senior Sunni Muslim official denied the charges, calling it a political ploy on the part of the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Al-Hashemi first sought refuge in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq in December, after an arrest warrant was issued against him. Later, unconfirmed reports said he went to Turkey then Qatar.

His current whereabouts are unclear.
And likely to remain so...
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Iraq
Two separate blasts kill 12 in Iraq
2012-06-26
[Iran Press TV] A car bomb blew up in Hilla, 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad, killing eight people and injuring 32 at about 7:45 pm (1645 GMT) on Monday, while a roadside bomb in Baquba, 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) north of Baghdad, killed four people and injured seven, security and medical sources told AFP.

Violence has risen in Iraq since December 2011, when an arrest warrant was issued for fugitive Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who has been charged with running a death squad targeting Iraqi officials and Shia Muslims.
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Iraq
Baghdad car bomb kills eight Shia pilgrims
2012-06-17
[Iran Press TV] A car boom has targeted Shia pilgrims in the Iraqi capital Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
, killing eight people and wounding several others, officials say.

The bomb went kaboom! on Saturday at about 12:15 pm (0915 GMT) when the pilgrims were returning from commemorations for Shia Imam Moussa Kazim (PTUI!) in the north of the capital, an interior ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

The official added that at least 15 people were also maimed in the kaboom that occurred on the highway near the Shuala area.

A medical source confirmed that the victims were sent to the Al-Hakim hospital in Shuala, but that a final toll was not yet available.

The source, however, said that that the Kadhimiyah and Al-Hakim hospitals had received 21 maimed people.

Violence has risen in Iraq since December 2011, when an arrest warrant was issued for runaway Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi for running a death squad that targeted Iraqi authorities and Shia pilgrims.
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Iraq
Interpol issues arrest notice for fugitive Iraq VP
2012-05-09
[Dawn] Interpol on Tuesday put Iraq's runaway Sunni vice president on the equivalent of its most-wanted list at the behest of the Shia-dominated government in Storied Baghdad.
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
Tariq al-Hashemi, who is currently in Turkey, is being tried in absentia in Storied Baghdad on charges of terrorism as well as guiding and financing death squads that targeted government officials, security forces and Shia pilgrims.

The Iraqi government links him to about 150 bombings, liquidations and other attacks, and says the death squads were largely composed of the vice president's bodyguards and other employees.

The trial was postponed last week after lawyers for al-Hashemi, who has denied the charges, appealed to have parliament create a special court to hear the case. The Sunni vice president has vowed not to return to face what he calls politically motivated charges.

Interpol said on its website that it has issued a so-called "red notice" for al-Hashemi, responding to a request from Storied Baghdad. A red notice by Interpol seeks the arrest of a wanted person with a view to eventual extradition. The subjects of red notices are considered to be on the organization's most-wanted list.

Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the red notice for al-Hashemi "will significantly restrict his ability to travel and cross international borders."

"It is a powerful tool that will help authorities around the world locate and arrest him," Interpol's website quoted Noble as saying.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told news hounds during a visit to Italia that al-Hashemi would likely return to Iraq after finishing medical treatment.

"Mr. al-Hashemi is in our country due to his health problems and to hold talks regarding latest developments," Erdogan said. "I believe, he will return his country following his treatment."

Many member countries consider a red notice to be a valid request for the arrest of a suspect, but Interpol cannot demand individual nations make an arrest. Turkey, which has provided sanctuary to al-Hashemi and is on tense terms with his opponents in the Iraqi government, has not formally responded so far to the Interpol notice.

Al-Hashemi, who has been in Turkey since mid-April, is staying under the protection of Turkish security agents at a luxury apartment in Istanbul, Turkey's NTV television said. A policeman with a machine gun guards the entrance of his apartment building, and several police cars were parked outside on Tuesday, according to NTV.

In an interview last week in Istanbul, al-Hashemi told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that his trial was part of a political vendetta that has wider repercussions for Iraqi unity and sectarian tensions across the Middle East.

He also alleged that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party....
, a Shia, may have engineered the proceedings to snuff out domestic opposition in case he is threatened by a revolt in Iraq similar to that in neighboring Syria.
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Iraq
Barzani visits Turkey as alliance with Iraqi Kurds deepens
2012-04-19
Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), is set to visit Turkey on Thursday and Friday to speak with Turkish officials and Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, on bilateral relations, regional developments, the fight against terrorism and serious internal political issues in Iraq, Today's Zaman reported.

A Foreign Ministry statement said Barzani was scheduled for a two-day visit, and was expected to be received by President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

Sedat Laçiner, the rector of 18 Mart University in Çanakkale, told Today's Zaman that this was neither Barzani's first visit to Turkey nor his last and added that the essence of Barzani's visit was not to meet with Hashemi only, as was claimed by some. "This is not an extraordinary visit. Barzani has also had discussions with senior American officials recently. The Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK] issue, Iraq's domestic issues and the crisis in Syria are expected to be discussed during his visit to Turkey," said Laçiner.

Turkey was content with Barzani's recent meeting with US leaders, where he spoke out against Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's monopolization of political power in Iraq, which Turkey is also very critical of, and a broad range of other issues, including encouraging the KRG to continue engaging in the Iraqi political process under the auspices of Iraq's constitution. Barzani said US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden reassured him that the United States would remain committed to cooperation with Kurdistan and committed to helping Iraq solve its serious internal political disputes.

Laçiner underlined that the relations between Turkey and Barzani have improved and become closer in recent times compared to the past. "In the past, Turkey and Barzani had very different relations, but today they meet as two close allies. So, this meeting will be a meeting of two partners," said Laçiner. He added that both sides -- Turkey and Barzani -- were in serious cooperation on many issues, including PM Maliki's policies and the PKK.

Barzani is also expected to meet with Hashemi, for whom the Shiite-led central government issued an arrest warrant in late 2011. Hashemi already stated that he will return to Iraq and will not seek political asylum in neighboring countries. Last week Hashemi came to Turkey, seeking political support. He met with Prime Minister Erdoğan and other officials to assess the situation in Iraq.

When asked about Iraqi Vice President Hashemi's situation, Laçiner stated that Turkey prefers Hashemi stay in Iraq. "Turkey wants Hashemi to live in his own country, Iraq, and to find solutions to the domestic problems of Iraq by preventing the occurrence of serious mistakes," said Laçiner.

Hashemi is trying to bolster his case, that he remains a key member of Iraq's government despite being a wanted man in Baghdad on charges of terrorism. The KRG refuses to hand over the fugitive vice president to the central government, despite calls from Baghdad.

The KRG's relations with the Shiite-led government, which already has long-running disputes with Kurds over territory and oil, were strained further when Vice President Hashemi, one of Iraq's leading Sunni politicians, fled Baghdad for the Kurdish north in December to avoid prosecution at the hands of the Maliki-led government on charges of running death squads.

Tayyar Arı, a professor at Uludağ University, told Today's Zaman that despite many problems, Turkey's relations with the KRG have improved in the recent years and that both sides have managed to agree on specific issues. "Especially after Maliki's policies in Iraq, it became compulsory for Turkey and the KRG to be in close contact. Maliki's insincere attitude towards Sunnis led Turkey to take more initiatives towards the Sunni issue. Hashemi's visit to the KRG, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey shows that the problem is not solved yet," said Arı.

He underlined that Hashemi was not going to be the sole topic that would be discussed between Turkish senior officials and Barzani. "Regional security issues, in particular border security, border operation and PKK infiltration, are still a top concern for Turkey. The KRG is trying to cooperate with Turkey on these issues," said Arı.

Arı also noted that the Syrian crisis will be the other serious topic expected to be discussed. "Kurds' expectations, Assad's stance on Kurds, Turkey's approach to Kurds in Syria and Barzani's expectations from the Syrian issue will be the topics on the table," said Arı.

Barzani is scheduled to hold a national Kurdish conference in Arbil in the forthcoming days at which he is expected to make a call on the PKK to lay down its arms or be isolated.
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Iraq
Hashemi: Iraq a corridor for Iranian weapons to Syria
2012-04-16
Iraq's Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi has said there are strong claims that Iran has been unlawfully using Iraqi airspace to convey weapons and ammunition to Syria. According to Hashemi, who is wanted on terror charges by the Iraqi government, Iraq is being used as a corridor for Iranian weapons to reach Syria, Today's Zaman reported.

In an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman, he stated that although Iraq vows to comply with the resolutions of the Arab League and that of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the reality might be different. "The opponents in Syria have arrested many Iraqi officials in Syria with charges of smuggling weapons," said Hashemi. "I have no material evidence, but I have information about that."

The vice-president, for whom an arrest warrant was issued immediately after the American soldiers withdrew from Iraq, first went to Arbil, the capital of the Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, and recently arrived in Turkey after visiting Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
And now we delve into conspiracy theory, though it may all be true:
Hashemi says he believes there are political considerations behind the arrest warrant issued in his name, but said he was seeking his rights in a legal way. Although he said he doesn't think the courts of law in Baghdad deliver just decisions, "I want the crisis to be surmounted as soon as possible, and get back to Baghdad," he said.

According to Hashemi, there are three reasons behind the arrest warrant. First is the fact that he was the politician in Baghdad who most actively opposed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's policies in the area of human rights and just distribution of resources. "So, Maliki could just tolerate opposition up to a point." he said. The second reason according to him is that before the situation got worse in Syria, the Iraqi prime minister wanted to get rid of an influential Sunni politician who would oppose him in his Syrian policy. Hashemi implied, though not citing the name, that the third reason might be something to do with the US, saying, "A super power might have provoked Maliki against me," he said. I continue with the research on the issue." Hashemi also stated that he obtained material evidence in the last couple of days that a third country was involved in the process. "It serves Iran well if I'm pacified in Iraq's political processes, but I believe another country has also intervened in the affair. "Ten days before the arrest warrant was issued in my name, Maliki visited the US. This might give a clue I suppose." he asserted.

Noting the importance of Turkey in the region, he is of the opinion that more than any other country in the Middle East, Turkey can contribute to the cohabitation of various communities. Seeing Iran's policies as the major hurdle, "With the Syrian crisis lingering on, the division in the region has strengthened. Turkey has a difficult, but a very important responsibility in decreasing the tension in the region," he commented.

Masud Barzani, head of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish government, complained in his recent Washington visit that Maliki was getting more and more authoritarian, and that they are in contact with various groups in Iraq in an effort to change the course of things. Commenting on the developments about the domestic politics in Iraq, Hashemi said, as a first step, all political groups in Iraq should come together to review the present situation in the country. If no solution is obtained in this meeting, to which Maliki will also be invited, then a motion of confidence will be called for in parliament.

Barzani also said during his visit to the US that if efforts should fail, then they would consult the Kurdish people about how to proceed, with the implication that they the Kurds might choose to declare independence. But Hashemi thinks it's not quite the case. "Barzani has expressed many times that the regional government is part of Iraq, and that they had no intention of seceding from Iraq," he said. Although he didn't totally exclude the possibility that the Kurdish government might have to go to a referendum, if all-else fails, to decide their fate.

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who is under Turkey's protection, talked with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in İstanbul on Sunday.

Seventeen policemen and five vehicles, one of which is armored, were assigned to his protection; he is wanted in Iraq on terror charges for allegedly running death squads against Shiite pilgrims, government officials and security forces. One armored S600 Mercedes automobile, which belongs to the Prime Ministry and two separate houses for Hashemi's family and his four bodyguards were assigned by the Turkish government.
Better stay in Erdogan's good graces...
Hashemi asked for protection from Turkey due to the death threats he received. He was taken under special protection after he met with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Hashemi's family was not allowed to stay at a hotel for security reasons.
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Iraq
Fugitive Iraq VP accuses Maliki of targeting Sunnis
2012-04-06
AFP - Iraq's runaway Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has accused Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite government of waging a systematic campaign against Sunni Arabs in Iraq.

In an interview with the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera network aired late on Wednesday, Hashemi said the accusations against him of running a death squad "have a sectarian dimension," noting that he is the "fifth Sunni figure to be targeted" by Iraq's Shiite-led government.

"More than 90 percent of the detainees in Iraq are Sunnis," said Hashemi, who pledged to return to Iraq to carry out his vice presidential duties despite Maliki's demands for him to face trial.

Hashemi sharply criticised Maliki, saying that "corruption in the country is widespread" and warning that the prime minister's policies were threatening "the unity of Iraq."

Hashemi also alleged that Maliki's government is providing "military assistance" to Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
's regime, arguing that his support for Syria's leadership, which he has previously accused of funding terrorism, is motivated by sectarian considerations.

"There is information about Iraqi militias fighting alongside the Syrian regime," Hashemi told Al-Jazeera. There are also "unconfirmed reports that Iraq's airspace is being used to help (Assad's) regime," he added, hinting at Iranian involvement.

Maliki has rejected attempts by Sunni-led Gulf Arab states to arm Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, arguing that such a move will trigger an even bigger crisis in the region.

The Syrian uprising has raised regional sectarian tensions.

Syria's minority rulers are Alawites -- an offshoot of Shiite Islam -- who are trying to cling to power by brutally suppressing anti-regime protests led by the country's majority Sunnis.

In Iraq, a Shiite-dominated government has ruled over the minority Sunni Arabs since the 2003 US-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein.

Hashemi spoke to Al-Jazeera in Doha during a controversial four-day visit that sparked a wave of criticism by Iraq's Shiite leadership, which demanded that Qatar extradite the runaway leader.

Qatar rejected Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
's request, saying it violated "diplomatic norms."

Hashemi travelled to Soddy Arabia on Wednesday, where he met Prince Saud al-Faisal, the kingdom's foreign minister.

He has said he would return to Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan, which he decamped to in December.
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Iraq
Hashemi in Saudi Arabia
2012-04-05
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - A Saudi Foreign Ministry official says Iraq’s fugitive vice president has arrived in the kingdom after a four-day official visit to neighboring Qatar.
He's not going home any time soon. Might soon find him in Idi Amin's guest house...
Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for Tariq al-Hashemi on terror charges and called on Qatar to extradite him so he can stand trial in Baghdad. Qatar refused the request.

The Saudi official says al-Hashemi arrived in the country on Wednesday and is meeting with the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press.

Al-Hashemi is the top Sunni official in Iraq’s Shia-dominated government. He has been taken refuge in the self-ruled Kurdish region in northern Iraq since the December arrest warrant.
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Iraq
Iraqi vice president may try to flee: Interior Ministry
2012-03-05
[Iran Press TV] The Iraqi Interior Ministry says Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi is likely to flee Iraq from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

The interior ministry issued a statement on Sunday and said it had "reliable information" on the matter.

The ministry also "requested that the interior ministry of the Kurdistan regional government carry out the arrest warrant issued against him (Hashemi) and hand him over to judicial authorities," according to the Sunday statement.

Hashemi is accused of involvement in kabooms against government and security officials over the past years, including a November 2011 car booming in the capital Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
 that apparently targeted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party....
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Iraq
Another Iraqi figure charged with terror
2012-01-20
[Iran Press TV] Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
 has locked away an al-Iraqiya bloc's politician for funding Islamic fascisti while terror-linked Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi remains runaway in the semi-autonomous north.

Riyadh al-Adhadh, the deputy chief of Storied Baghdad provincial council, was locked away on Wednesday in connection with funding terrorist elements, a Storied Baghdad security official said Thursday on condition of anonymity.

"An krazed killer group confessed that he is funding them and giving them orders," the source noted.

Adhadh is a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), part of the al-Iraqiya coalition to which Hashemi belongs.

The IIP confirmed the detention of the party member, but attacked the arrest as "an unprecedented escalation" and called for Adhadh to be freed.

Al-Iraqiya, which ran a neck-and-neck competition with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's
... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party....
 State of Law alliance in Iraq's 2010 parliamentary elections, has largely boycotted parliament and cabinet in response to the arrest warrants issued against its members.

On Tuesday, Iraq's cabinet criticized al-Iraqiya's boycotting ministers, decreeing they could not run their ministries as long as they are staying away from its meetings.

Meanwhile,
...back at the game, the Babe was wondering why the baseball kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally it hit him...
 Vice President Hashemi, who is charged with running death squads, has been holed up the Kurdistan region while the regional Kurd officials have so far ignored Storied Baghdad's calls to hand him over.

Iraq's political standoff spread to the country's ties with Turkey after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with Maliki on January 10, where he expressed "concern" over the political situation in Iraq and called for an end to "sectarian and ethnic polarization" in Iraq.

The remarks infuriated officials in Storied Baghdad, but drew appreciation from Hashemi, who said he felt "indebted" to the Turkish premier for supporting him.
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