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Sectarian Violence Worsens In Iraq Amid Political Crisis

January 05, 2012

by RFE/RL

More than 70 people have been killed in a wave of bombings targeting Shi'a in Iraq.

A suicide bomber targeting Shi'ite pilgrims near Nasiriyah in southern Iraq killed at least 38 people, just hours after a wave of bombings in Shi'ite parts of northern Baghdad killed dozens of others.

The coordinated attacks bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda and contribute to a worsening sectarian crisis in Iraq that erupted as soon as the last U.S. troops left the country in December. No one immediately claimed responsibility.

The bombings come amid a political crisis that saw Iraq's Sunni-backed Al-Iraqiyah bloc on January 3 launch a boycott of parliament and cabinet meetings, accusing Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of ignoring a power-sharing deal meant to ease sectarian tensions.

Last month, Maliki's government issued an arrest warrant for Iraq's top Sunni politician, Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who promptly fled to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north.

Al-Iraqiyah parliament member Nabil Harbo told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq on January 5 that the bloc's ministers have three key demands from Maliki that were all part of their power-sharing deal on forming a unity government more than a year ago.

Those include the creation of a national strategic-policy council, passage of planned cabinet statutes, and the balancing of security forces within the Defense Ministry between Sunnis, Shi'a, and Kurds.

"When the government of national partnership was formed, Iraqiyah agreed with the [the predominantly Shi'ite] National Alliance and the Kurdistan Alliance on a host of provisions," Harbo said. "These provisions have so far not been implemented. Indeed, the Iraqi government has tried to drag its feet on this issue."

Al-Iraqiyah Ministers 'On Leave'

All eight Iraqiyah cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Rafie al-Esawi, are taking part in the boycott. Ministers who did attend the January 3 cabinet meeting voted to declare them "on leave."

Cabinet Secretary Ali al-Alaq, a member of Maliki's State of Law bloc, told RFE/RL on January 5 that Iraqiyah's boycott had forced Maliki to appoint other members of his cabinet as acting ministers in the interim.

"Maintaining the functions of state institutions should be separated from disagreements between the political blocs on some issues. Otherwise the people, public services and projects will be adversely affected," Alaq said.

"That is why the prime minister has a right to appoint acting ministers to run the respective ministries until the fate of Iraqiyah's ministers is decided. That is, whether they return or not."

The UN secretary-general's envoy to Iraq, Martin Kobler, has urged Iraq's leaders to work together to resolve the political crisis, telling President Jalal Talabani that the United Nations is ready to support efforts "to promote confidence and trust."

Written by Ron Synovitz, with RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq correspondents in Baghdad and Abdelilah Nuami in Prague

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/bomb_attacks_baghdad_shiite_areas_deadly/24442657.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.