Monday, April 16, 2007
Al-Sadr's bloc withdraw from government
Politics
(RFE/RL) - The political movement of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered its ministers to withdraw from the Iraqi cabinet. Nassar al-Rubay'i, the head of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament, presented lawmakers with a statement from al-Sadr announcing that the ministers would resign immediately.
Lawmakers close to al-Sadr say the move is an attempt to pressure Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to draw up a timetable for the withdrawal from Iraq of U.S.-led foreign troops. Al-Sadr's group has six cabinet ministers in al-Maliki's government, and some 30 lawmakers in the 275-member parliament. Only the cabinet members are expected to resign.
Violence continued in Iraq on April 15, with more than 40 people reported killed in a series of bomb and suicide attacks in Baghdad. The United States military has announced the deaths of three more U.S. service personnel in Iraq, while Britain said two British service members died when two helicopters apparently collided in midair north of Baghdad.
Lawmakers close to al-Sadr say the move is an attempt to pressure Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to draw up a timetable for the withdrawal from Iraq of U.S.-led foreign troops. Al-Sadr's group has six cabinet ministers in al-Maliki's government, and some 30 lawmakers in the 275-member parliament. Only the cabinet members are expected to resign.
Violence continued in Iraq on April 15, with more than 40 people reported killed in a series of bomb and suicide attacks in Baghdad. The United States military has announced the deaths of three more U.S. service personnel in Iraq, while Britain said two British service members died when two helicopters apparently collided in midair north of Baghdad.
COMMENT: The Sadrists were instrumental in supporting Maliki's coming to power, so in an already fragile political Shiite coalition he will lose his strongest support base and the chasm within the UIA will widen. With al-Sadr out of the government, Maliki will also have less bargaining chips when trying to control Shiite death squads related to the Mahdi Army. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: government, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sadrist bloc
