Monday, July 02, 2007
Sunni govt officials leave Baghdad for Kurdistan
Politics, Security
(Gulf News) - In a striking development, some top Sunni officials in the Iraqi government and parliament have decided to transfer their families to the more secure Kurdish region, Sunni politicians said. Salman Al Jabouri, a leading figure in Ahl Al Iraq convention (People of Iraq convention), Karkh section in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "Militias might kidnap Sunni officials' sons and murder them. Besides, Al Qaida has become a serious threat to the families, ... the Accord Front do not want their families to dwell inside the American fortified International Zone [formerly the Green Zone]."
Information indicates that the families of Vice-President Tariq Al Hashemi, Deputy Prime Minister Salam Al Zubai, and the suspended head of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud Al Mashadani, will move to the Kurdish regions, especially to Arbil, where leaders promised special protection and support. The escalation of sectarian violence in Baghdad led Sunni leaders to transfer their families to Kurdish region, a step that might indicate a worsening of security situation in future, said Sunni sources.
Faris, an official bodyguard for Sunni Accord Front members, told Gulf News: "There were written threats sent to Sunni officials, claiming to kill their family members if they do not withdraw from the whole political process .... Besides the possibility of securing their families' safety in Baghdad became almost impossible. ... their sons ... go to schools and universities while their wives visit relatives, that is the reason we need a large number of bodyguards."
According to Iraqi sources, who asked not to be named, some Arab countries have offered to host families of the Sunni officials, but they preferred the Kurd region mainly because most Sunni leaders admire the Kurdish position characterised by moderation concerning de-Baathification and dissolution of the Iraqi army.
Zuhair Al Dulaimi, a history professor, told Gulf News: "An important reason forcing Sunnis to flee Baghdad is that assassination campaigns have turned into massacres, claiming the lives of 20 to 50 citizens per day." Sunni political groups estimated that 200,000 Iraqis have left for Jordan, Syria and Egypt among other countries, and approximately out of 190,000 Sunnis who left, 150,000 are from Baghdad alone.
Information indicates that the families of Vice-President Tariq Al Hashemi, Deputy Prime Minister Salam Al Zubai, and the suspended head of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud Al Mashadani, will move to the Kurdish regions, especially to Arbil, where leaders promised special protection and support. The escalation of sectarian violence in Baghdad led Sunni leaders to transfer their families to Kurdish region, a step that might indicate a worsening of security situation in future, said Sunni sources.
Faris, an official bodyguard for Sunni Accord Front members, told Gulf News: "There were written threats sent to Sunni officials, claiming to kill their family members if they do not withdraw from the whole political process .... Besides the possibility of securing their families' safety in Baghdad became almost impossible. ... their sons ... go to schools and universities while their wives visit relatives, that is the reason we need a large number of bodyguards."
According to Iraqi sources, who asked not to be named, some Arab countries have offered to host families of the Sunni officials, but they preferred the Kurd region mainly because most Sunni leaders admire the Kurdish position characterised by moderation concerning de-Baathification and dissolution of the Iraqi army.
Zuhair Al Dulaimi, a history professor, told Gulf News: "An important reason forcing Sunnis to flee Baghdad is that assassination campaigns have turned into massacres, claiming the lives of 20 to 50 citizens per day." Sunni political groups estimated that 200,000 Iraqis have left for Jordan, Syria and Egypt among other countries, and approximately out of 190,000 Sunnis who left, 150,000 are from Baghdad alone.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Green Zone, International Zone, Iraqi Accord Front, Kurdistan, Mahmoud Al Mashahdani, relocation, Salam Al Zubai, Sunni officials, Tariq Al Hashemi
