Iraq leader warns of collapse

[krome2ez]

Iraq leader warns of collapse

Updated: 08:04, Tuesday December 20, 2011

An Iraqi leader has called for urgent talks to prevent the 'collapse' of a unity government, with its Sunni vice-president barred from foreign travel in an unfolding crisis following the withdrawal of US troops.

Barely a day after American forces completed their pullout, two of Iraq's main political blocs were at loggerheads, with Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak, both Sunni members of the secular Iraqiya bloc, coming under pressure from the Shi'ite-led authorities.

A judicial committee said on Monday Hashemi was not allowed to leave the country, and several of his bodyguards have been detained in connection with terrorist attacks, while Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has moved for Mutlak to be sacked.

Massud Barzani, president of the autonomous northern Kurdish region, later issued a statement calling for 'an urgent national meeting to avoid the collapse of the political process.

'The situation is heading towards deep crisis, and the ruling partnership has become threatened,' said Barzani, who in November 2010 hosted a meeting of senior Iraqi leaders at which the foundations of the national unity government were laid, ending months of impasse following elections in March that year.

He did not propose a date for the meeting in Monday's statement.

Earlier, a five-member judicial panel barred Hashemi and several of his guards from travelling overseas 'due to issues related to terrorism', a senior security official told AFP.

State broadcaster Al-Iraqiya TV also reported the travel ban.

Three of Hashemi's guards were also arrested on Sunday evening, when the vice-president was briefly escorted off a domestic flight from Baghdad to the Kurdish region's capital, Arbil. Ten others have been detained in recent weeks.

His office on Monday complained of 'intentional harassment' in the form of a security force blockading his home for several weeks, as well as other incidents.

The latest events come after the Iraqiya bloc of Hashemi and Mutlak said on Saturday it was boycotting parliament in protest over the prime minister's alleged monopolising of power.

On Sunday Maliki called for Mutlak to be ousted, and MPs are due to consider his request on January 3, a parliament official said.

Mutlak, who was accused of being a supporter of Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party in the run-up to the 2010 elections that he was barred from standing in, told his own Babiliyah television channel this month that Maliki was 'worse than Saddam Hussein'.

Iraqiya, which holds 82 seats in the 325-member parliament and controls nine ministerial posts, has not pulled out of Iraq's national unity government.

The bloc, which garnered most of its support from the Sunni Arab minority and emerged with the most seats in March 2010 elections, was outmanoeuvred for the premiership by Maliki who, after finishing second in the polls, struck a deal with another group to broaden his power base and lead the government.

The political party loyal to anti-US Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr lamented that the timing of the crisis, after US troops completed their withdrawal from the country early on Sunday, suggested American forces had held the political system together.

'We do not want to send any wrong message to the world, after the withdrawal of the occupying forces, that the one who was controlling the issues in Iraq was the occupier,' said Baha al-Araji, head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc.

http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=698539&vId=

And on a related story:

December 19, 2011 12:55 PM

Arrest warrant for Iraq V.P. on terror charge

(AP) Last Uodated 1:13 p.m. ET

BAGHDAD - Iraq's Shiite-led government issued an arrest warrant Monday for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, the country's highest ranking Sunni official, on terrorism charges.

The move, a day after the last U.S. troops left Iraq and ended the nearly nine-year war, signaled a sharp new escalation in sectarian tensions that drove Iraq to the brink of civil war just a few years ago.

Interior Ministry spokesman Adil Daham told reporters about the warrant on Monday and state-run television aired what it characterized as confessions by alleged terrorists linked to al-Hashemi.

Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated Baath party regime, the Sunni minority has constantly complained of attempts by the Shiite majority to sideline them.

Al-Hashemi is one of the leaders of the Sunni-backed political bloc Iraqiya, which has just suspended its participation in parliament to protest the control of key posts by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The boycott decision by Iraqiya, headed by Ayad Allawi, was in response to the government's failure to share more powers, particularly the authorities over the security forces, said Sunni lawmaker Hamid al-Mutlaq, a member of the bloc.

Iraqiya narrowly won the most seats in last year's parliamentary election, but Allawi was outmaneuvered by al-Maliki, who kept the premier's post after cobbling together key support from Shiite parties.

For over a year now, al-Maliki has effectively controlled the Interior and Defense Ministries, which oversee the police and military, while conflicts between Sunni and Shiite politicians have delayed the appointment of permanent ministers.

The dispute is a reminder that the U.S. left behind an Iraq still riven by sectarian division. The United States completed its withdrawal from the country, with the last troops crossing the border into neighboring Kuwait early Sunday.

Al-Mutlaq warned that Iraqiya could take a further step if its demands are not met — pulling its seven ministers out of al-Maliki's coalition government.

In a statement issued Saturday, Iraiqiya criticized the "unjustified" random arrests conducted by the government's security forces against Sunni areas.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57345128/arrest-warrant-for-iraq-v.p-on-terror-charge/

Edited December 19, 2011 by krome2ez

[gatoraces]

the surprise will be if the shiites, sunnis, and kurds can ever get along enough to run the country.

[Jmcc]

the surprise will be if the shiites, sunnis, and kurds can ever get along enough to run the country.

ditto

[easyrider]

i dont think Iraq wil ever have a democracy because they just cant get along i dont know if they will ever this has been going on for years upon years they dont like each other and never will in my book.

[Carrello]

Boy, it takes forever to get anything done in Iraq. Just ask the people that needed electrcity or a sewage system.

But if they want to start a civil war, no problem, we are right there. In 24 hours the country is ready to collapse. These guys are good! If you want to take a country down, just send in the Iraqis.

This is probably just drama for some reason. Who knows.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Carrello

[Sanssouci]

Boy, it takes forever to get anything done in Iraq. Just ask the people that needed electrcity or a sewage system.

But if they want to start a civil war, no problem, we are right there. In 24 hours the country is ready to collapse. These guys are good! If you want to take a country down, just send in the Iraqis.

This is probably just drama for some reason. Who knows.

And drama is... Theater!

[zigmeister]

It could but it would take a very sophisticated leader with great people skills.

[OregonHopeful]

These people have been isolated and under Sadam control for what, 30-40 years? They have no idea what a democracy IS, let alone HOW to run one.

They need a crash course in negotiating, diplomacy, common sense, and a constant referee until they can come out and play nice.

[leanonme]

Maybe the US forces were indeed holding things together. Now that they are on their own, and everybody is looking at them they are not starting out so good. Not good for us either.

[OregonHopeful]

Here's another version:

Tension is escalating, need for national conference, Barzani

12/19/2011 7:28 PM

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani said today"what happened at the airport is unacceptable", pointing out that thesituation is moving for "further tension" and the partnership ingovernment becomes "threatened", calling for holding an urgentnational conference to save the political process".

In a statement issued by him, he added that all parties shouldcooperate not to have a security vacuum following US forces withdrawal, but"we should not politicize the security situation for other ends, but leaveit to the judicial organs to decide".

He expressed his sorrow that the situation is moving for furthertension and the partnership in the government has been threatened.

Barzani confirmed that all should go back to last year agreementswhich were the base for political accords.

"Following consultations with PresidentJalal Talabani, I call for urgent national conference to save the politicalprocess from collapsing", he suggested finally.

RM

Aswat Al Iraq / Politics , Title , Baghdad

http://en.aswataliraq.info/%28S%28czwddsnroauwe2m5qg1d5l45%29%29/Default.aspx?page=article_page&c=slideshow&id=146101

Confessions againstHashimi by his bodyguards

12/19/2011 8:51 PM

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: One of the bodyguards of Iraqi vice-presidentTariq al-Hashimi confessed a number of assassination operations.

The first operation wasdirected against director of Risafa health department in 2009 and the second isthe assassination of a foreign ministry official for financial rewards.

Well-informed sourcessaid that an arrest warrant was issued today by the Higher Judicial Councilagainst Hashimi for actions described as "terrorist acts".

Earlier, the confessionswere due to be broadcasted on Saturday last, but postponed for investigationreasons.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/%28S%28czwddsnroauwe2m5qg1d5l45%29%29/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=146102&l=1

[lomeygoat]

I can see now that investment in the dinar was probally not such a good idea. It seems the U.S. was holding the country together and now as they have just left it is falling apart. Will they ever pull there heads out of there a**es and live like a nation. Probally not as it seems they will end up having a civil war now. We left too soon, we should have stayed there until they could get the stuff done they were supposed to. Obviously they still need us to hold there hand and show them how its done.

Go RV one day....Doesnt seem like it comming any time soon now... Sorry to be a bit of a downer.

Merry Christmas anyway.

[Carrello]

And drama is... Theater!

Vaudeville! Stage right - get the hook.

[Nelg]

These people have been isolated and under Sadam control for what, 30-40 years? They have no idea what a democracy IS, let alone HOW to run one.

They need a crash course in negotiating, diplomacy, common sense, and a constant referee until they can come out and play nice.

All the education in the world will not help. They need to change their mindset which is formulated by their religion, and they will not change their religion. Those individuals who do change are murdered and their families persecuted, molested, raped, and made an example for others. They "act nice" as long as they are being "refereed" but don't hold your breath when the "referee" leaves town.

[captl1]

Their biggest fear is fear itself.. they have had some one take them by the hand for as long as they can remember. Now they have to think and act for themselves......like being in school for the first time without mom and dad.

[thatoneguy]

IMO, use the press. Articles of barrier breaking, negotiations, cooperation. These folks have an odd thought process, but they are still human. Get to the root of basic human needs, and maybe, just maybe some of this old, bad blood amongst Iraqi's can be band-aided for a while. Continue the press releases/stories telling Iraq that the color is blue, when in fact it's red, and if you tell'em for a long enough period, viola, blue it is.

[KNTIME]

Lets just hope they dont kill eachother off before they RV

[Ghost Rider]

Smoke and Mirrors my friends, Smoke and Mirrors! These are articles similar to what was pushed out prior to the Kuwait RV. It's coming!

[VanessaL4100]

This also could be smoke. I mean since the troops did just leave, they could be threatening investors to give back the dinar. Making us second guess the investment. Thoughts?

Smoke and Mirrors my friends, Smoke and Mirrors! These are articles similar to what was pushed out prior to the Kuwait RV. It's coming!

thought so! Thank you for the reassurance!

[ssmith]

These iraq's are crazy like a fox... If you watched maliki on tv with Obama ; he never once smiled & now there burning our flag in celebration of us leaving... These guys are nuts & have been nuts for a 1000 years... But they love money & power, I hope they hurry... Before it all blows up....

[anonymou5]

Bu ch of fing inbred animals. We should take all of the oil and guns, leaving them with rocks and bottles to play with. Some societies will never figure it out.

[anonymou5]

It could but it would take a very sophisticated leader with great people skills.

They need to learn tolerance, but Islam does not teach that.

[woolwich82]

they will settle in shortly

[Sanssouci]

Smoke and Mirrors my friends, Smoke and Mirrors! These are articles similar to what was pushed out prior to the Kuwait RV. It's coming!

That's what I'm talkin' about!

[nemesis760]

the surprise will be if the shiites, sunnis, and kurds can ever get along enough to run the country.

Just make three countries. Isunniraq, Kudaq, and Ishiite... then they can compete who fails harder...

[lotsofdinar]

"Smoke and Mirrors my friends, Smoke and Mirrors! These are articles similar to what was pushed out prior to the Kuwait RV. It's coming!"

Except, this statement is nonsense. Kuwait didn't RV.