Sunday, April 01, 2007
Allawi criticises U.S.-backed oil law and al-Maliki's government
Politics
(AP) - Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite just back from barnstorming for support among Sunni Arab leaders across the Middle East, appears determined to make another run at the premiership. His platform: Iraq cannot survive under the current Shiite leadership, and Sunnis must have a much larger role in government.
The Sunni-dominated Arab League believes this, as well, but the idea is opposed by the Shiite-led government in Iraq. Most Shiite lawmakers cannot abide Allawi's secular positions and it appears unlikely he could form a sufficiently large parliamentary coalition to retake the prime minister's office.
Allawi, while Shiite through family history, rejects mixing religion and government and says Iraq can only survive through reconciliation with Sunni Muslims and building government, military and police structures that are loyal to the Iraqi people, not to one of the nation's Muslim sects. His appointed government ran the country from June 2004 until his party was routed by religious Shiite parties in the January 2005 election.
He had been put in office by L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. official who ran Iraq for a year after the invasion. Now he is seeking to de-emphasize his links with the U.S., publicly at least. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Allawi said the U.S.-backed draft oil law has the potential to "cause a severe backlash in society." The draft law, designed in part to create a fair distribution of oil profits to all Iraqis, is perhaps the most important piece of legislation for Iraq's American patrons. But the measure, which would give foreign companies some access to the country's enormous oil reserves, has not yet been put before parliament.
Passage of the oil law, thought to have been written with heavy U.S. involvement, is one of four benchmarks the Bush administration has set for al-Maliki's struggling government. But Allawi said the measure was written under time pressure and could have negative unforeseen consequences. He did not elaborate. He was also critical of the Baghdad security operation to which President Bush has committed an additional 30,000 troops, with full deployment not expected until June.
"I seems to me even the surge, unfortunately, is not working efficiently yet," Allawi said. "Security, as you can see, is still deteriorating in the country and sectarianism is unfortunately prevailing. We are witnessing wide-scale atrocities throughout the country." He blamed what he sees as al-Maliki's unwillingness to start a dialogue with the Sunni Arabs who ran the country under Saddam. For that reason, he said, the security drive "is not going to succeed, is going to backfire the day after" it ends.
"We don't have a political process now," Allawi said of al-Maliki's government, which, like the parliament, is dominated by Shiites. "What we have is a biased, sectarian-based political process which is damaging the country."
"I'm definitely trying to pull together an alliance of moderates in Iraq. I strongly believe that sectarianism and terrorism are both signs of extremism. And really what we need in Iraq, as well as the region, is the creation of moderate camps," Allawi said, coming as close as he would to saying whether he wanted a second term as prime minister.
He said the U.S., forced into backing al-Maliki through the democratic process Washington established in Iraq, will never achieve its objectives as long as it remains tied to the highly sectarian Shiite leadership. Allawi says the problems that exist now were of the United States' creation. "I always thought that the first steps toward democracy were not to have elections. The first steps are (to create) the rule of law and a bill of rights for the people. That would pave the way for full-blown democracy," he said.
But Allawi's distaste for the U.S. pressure to quickly hold elections may arise from the drubbing he took from the Shiite religious parties. Now he's again placing himself in the public spotlight, particularly with his trip recently to Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan - all predominantly Sunni countries concerned about the fate of fellow Sunnis in Iraq. Allawi, a Shiite who is an outcast among his own sect because of his secular policies, appears to be trying to rebuild his stature on a Sunni foundation.
The Sunni-dominated Arab League believes this, as well, but the idea is opposed by the Shiite-led government in Iraq. Most Shiite lawmakers cannot abide Allawi's secular positions and it appears unlikely he could form a sufficiently large parliamentary coalition to retake the prime minister's office.
Allawi, while Shiite through family history, rejects mixing religion and government and says Iraq can only survive through reconciliation with Sunni Muslims and building government, military and police structures that are loyal to the Iraqi people, not to one of the nation's Muslim sects. His appointed government ran the country from June 2004 until his party was routed by religious Shiite parties in the January 2005 election.
He had been put in office by L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. official who ran Iraq for a year after the invasion. Now he is seeking to de-emphasize his links with the U.S., publicly at least. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Allawi said the U.S.-backed draft oil law has the potential to "cause a severe backlash in society." The draft law, designed in part to create a fair distribution of oil profits to all Iraqis, is perhaps the most important piece of legislation for Iraq's American patrons. But the measure, which would give foreign companies some access to the country's enormous oil reserves, has not yet been put before parliament.
Passage of the oil law, thought to have been written with heavy U.S. involvement, is one of four benchmarks the Bush administration has set for al-Maliki's struggling government. But Allawi said the measure was written under time pressure and could have negative unforeseen consequences. He did not elaborate. He was also critical of the Baghdad security operation to which President Bush has committed an additional 30,000 troops, with full deployment not expected until June.
"I seems to me even the surge, unfortunately, is not working efficiently yet," Allawi said. "Security, as you can see, is still deteriorating in the country and sectarianism is unfortunately prevailing. We are witnessing wide-scale atrocities throughout the country." He blamed what he sees as al-Maliki's unwillingness to start a dialogue with the Sunni Arabs who ran the country under Saddam. For that reason, he said, the security drive "is not going to succeed, is going to backfire the day after" it ends.
"We don't have a political process now," Allawi said of al-Maliki's government, which, like the parliament, is dominated by Shiites. "What we have is a biased, sectarian-based political process which is damaging the country."
"I'm definitely trying to pull together an alliance of moderates in Iraq. I strongly believe that sectarianism and terrorism are both signs of extremism. And really what we need in Iraq, as well as the region, is the creation of moderate camps," Allawi said, coming as close as he would to saying whether he wanted a second term as prime minister.
He said the U.S., forced into backing al-Maliki through the democratic process Washington established in Iraq, will never achieve its objectives as long as it remains tied to the highly sectarian Shiite leadership. Allawi says the problems that exist now were of the United States' creation. "I always thought that the first steps toward democracy were not to have elections. The first steps are (to create) the rule of law and a bill of rights for the people. That would pave the way for full-blown democracy," he said.
But Allawi's distaste for the U.S. pressure to quickly hold elections may arise from the drubbing he took from the Shiite religious parties. Now he's again placing himself in the public spotlight, particularly with his trip recently to Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan - all predominantly Sunni countries concerned about the fate of fellow Sunnis in Iraq. Allawi, a Shiite who is an outcast among his own sect because of his secular policies, appears to be trying to rebuild his stature on a Sunni foundation.
Labels: Arab League, draft oil law, Iyad Allawi, Nouri Al-Maliki, operation Imposing Law
