Friday, July 27, 2007
Al-Hakim calls for meeting with Iraqi Accordance Front
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of Shiite United Iraqi Coalition (UIC), called on Thursday the leaders of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) to an immediate meeting after the Sunni bloc threatened to "withdraw from the government if its demands were not met," Vice-President Hashemi's office said.
"A call by Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim for the meeting came during a visit on Thursday by the Iraqi Vice President and member of IAF Tariq al-Hashemi to the head of Coalition Bloc Abdul Aziz al-Hakim on his return from medical trip," Hashemi's office said a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The statement explained that Hakim's call to a meeting between the Iraqi Accordance Front and the Iraqi United Coalition was meant to discuss the demands of the Front. The Iraqi Accordance Front set on Thursday one-week deadline to meet its demands otherwise it would totally withdraw from the government. It demanded, among others, releasing detainees and having partnership in making security and political decisions.
Meanwhile, parliamentarian Harith al-Ubaidi said on Thursday the Accordance Front suspended it participation in the government until its demands were met. "The Front decided on Thursday to suspend it membership in the government until the demands it has announced will be met," al-Ubaidi told VOI over the phone.
He added "our demands circle around issuing amnesty in preparation to release the detainees and prisoners and stop the raids, arrests, and illegal practices. Those who suspended their membership were deputy premier Salam al-Zobae and the six ministers representing the front," al-Ubaidi explained.
The Iraqi Accordance Front has (44) seats out of 275-member-Parliament and has six ministries within the cabinet. The spokesperson for the Front said on Thursday the Accordance will withdraw from the Iraqi government if its demands were not seriously addressed. "The Front suffered from procrastination and delay, and if the government does not respond to our demands…we will have to withdraw from the government and the parliament," said MP Abdullah Saleem told VOI.
"The withdrawal applies to Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobae, and excludes Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi", he noted. The Front has already announced suspending its ministers' participation in the government against what it said "wrong practices by the Iraqi authorities towards the front member and minister of culture Asaad al Hashimi.
"A call by Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim for the meeting came during a visit on Thursday by the Iraqi Vice President and member of IAF Tariq al-Hashemi to the head of Coalition Bloc Abdul Aziz al-Hakim on his return from medical trip," Hashemi's office said a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The statement explained that Hakim's call to a meeting between the Iraqi Accordance Front and the Iraqi United Coalition was meant to discuss the demands of the Front. The Iraqi Accordance Front set on Thursday one-week deadline to meet its demands otherwise it would totally withdraw from the government. It demanded, among others, releasing detainees and having partnership in making security and political decisions.
Meanwhile, parliamentarian Harith al-Ubaidi said on Thursday the Accordance Front suspended it participation in the government until its demands were met. "The Front decided on Thursday to suspend it membership in the government until the demands it has announced will be met," al-Ubaidi told VOI over the phone.
He added "our demands circle around issuing amnesty in preparation to release the detainees and prisoners and stop the raids, arrests, and illegal practices. Those who suspended their membership were deputy premier Salam al-Zobae and the six ministers representing the front," al-Ubaidi explained.
The Iraqi Accordance Front has (44) seats out of 275-member-Parliament and has six ministries within the cabinet. The spokesperson for the Front said on Thursday the Accordance will withdraw from the Iraqi government if its demands were not seriously addressed. "The Front suffered from procrastination and delay, and if the government does not respond to our demands…we will have to withdraw from the government and the parliament," said MP Abdullah Saleem told VOI.
"The withdrawal applies to Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobae, and excludes Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi", he noted. The Front has already announced suspending its ministers' participation in the government against what it said "wrong practices by the Iraqi authorities towards the front member and minister of culture Asaad al Hashimi.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Harith al-Ubaidi, Iraqi Accordance Front, Salam al-Zobae, Tariq al-Hashemi, United Iraqi Coalition, withdrawal
Monday, July 23, 2007
Iraq's top five political leaders to hold a summit
Politics
(Reuters) - Iraq’s top five political leaders are due to hold a summit this week in an attempt to end a political crisis which has paralyzed the country for months, officials said on Monday. They told Reuters that Kurdish, Sunni Arab and Shi’ite leaders acknowledge the political impasse and may meet on Friday. “They will be holding marathon meetings. So far we have the 27th as the date but it is yet to be confirmed,” a senior government official told Reuters.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful Shi’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said. Kurds want Kirkuk included in their autonomous Kurdistan region as its capital and want to press ahead with a referendum by the end of the year, but other ethnic groups object. Iraq’s constitution stipulates a Kirkuk referendum by year’s end.
Maliki’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
Behind the scenes there has been talk about reshuffling the government, but some people think this would push Iraq to the brink of collapse because various factions would then argue to scratch issues that had already been agreed on. Washington has been pushing Iraq to speed passage of several laws aimed at curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Only one draft, which concerns Iraq’s huge oil reserves, has been submitted, but the full legislature has yet to debate it. The draft oil law aims to ease tension by ensuring Sunnis share in oil profits. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but most is in the Kurdish north or Shi’ite south. Other laws that set provincial elections by the year-end and allow some members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to government and the military also need to be passed.
But the Iraqi government is running out of time ahead of a report due in Washington by Sept. 15 on Iraq’s security and political progress. The report, by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and military leader General David Petraeus, is being viewed as a political watershed. Lack of action on those benchmark laws is sure to heighten calls from opposition Democrats in Congress and also some Republicans for an American troop pullout from Iraq.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful Shi’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said. Kurds want Kirkuk included in their autonomous Kurdistan region as its capital and want to press ahead with a referendum by the end of the year, but other ethnic groups object. Iraq’s constitution stipulates a Kirkuk referendum by year’s end.
Maliki’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
Behind the scenes there has been talk about reshuffling the government, but some people think this would push Iraq to the brink of collapse because various factions would then argue to scratch issues that had already been agreed on. Washington has been pushing Iraq to speed passage of several laws aimed at curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Only one draft, which concerns Iraq’s huge oil reserves, has been submitted, but the full legislature has yet to debate it. The draft oil law aims to ease tension by ensuring Sunnis share in oil profits. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but most is in the Kurdish north or Shi’ite south. Other laws that set provincial elections by the year-end and allow some members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to government and the military also need to be passed.
But the Iraqi government is running out of time ahead of a report due in Washington by Sept. 15 on Iraq’s security and political progress. The report, by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and military leader General David Petraeus, is being viewed as a political watershed. Lack of action on those benchmark laws is sure to heighten calls from opposition Democrats in Congress and also some Republicans for an American troop pullout from Iraq.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iyad Allawi, Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, meeting, Nouri Al-Maliki, Tareq al-Hashemi
Friday, July 13, 2007
Al Hakim calls for Sunnis to support Maliki
Politics
(Gulf News) - The leader of Iraq's largest Shiite political party said he will stand by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and urged Sunnis not to abandon the political process, promising serious efforts to solve any problem angering them. Abdul Aziz Al Hakim's written comments were received by the Associated Press yesterday in response to questions sent to him last week. The leader of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq is in Iran for cancer treatment. Al Maliki's coalition has been weakened by a Sunni boycott and wrangling over political benchmarks that the United States is pushing the Prime Minister to pass.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Nouri Al-Maliki, SICI, Sunnis
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Al-Hakim says Iran-U.S. talks "national wish"
Politics, Security, Region
(RFE/RL) - Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, told ISNA in Tehran on June 18 that more talks between Iran and the United States about Iraqi security "have turned into a national wish," and "everyone appreciates" the impact such talks would have in improving Iraqi security. He admitted, however, that it is difficult to say whether earlier talks have had "practical and palpable effects." He said U.S. forces should hand over "command and security operations" to Iraqi forces. "We believe security should be assured by the Iraqis themselves," with backing from coalition troops, he said.
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said in Tehran on June 18 that Iran has examined "word for word" the first set of Iran-U.S. talks -- held in Baghdad on May 28 -- and could not see any "clear plan that would lead to the Americans coming out of present conditions," ISNA reported, citing Mottaki's interview with Iran's Al-Aalam network.
Iran has urged the United States to change its security policies and leave Iraq. Mottaki said Iran has clear positions on various regional political issues, and its differences with the United States can be resolved through diplomacy. He said Iran does not believe the United States can "impose another crisis on American taxpayers," referring perhaps to talk of possible U.S. military strikes on Iran in connection with its nuclear program.
The issue of Iran-U.S. ties, he said, is a "thick dossier" going back decades, formed "because of the actions of the American government." Iraq, Mottaki stressed, is presently the only matter for discussion between the two states. "When we mention the issue of Iran and America, we are dealing with a specific subject, and that subject is Iraq," he said. He added that Iran may need another "week or two" to examine the request of Iraqi officials for talks with the United States to resume.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, SIIC, U.S.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Al-Sadr re-appears in public
Politics
(AP) - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr appeared in public for the first time in months on Friday and delivered a fiery anti-American sermon in the holy Shiite city of Kufa. "No, no for the devil. No, no for America. No, no for the occupation. No, no for Israel," he chanted at the start of his speech. The roughly 6,000 worshippers in the mosque repeated after him. Al-Sadr told the worshippers that "the occupation forces should leave Iraq," and condemned fighting between his Mahdi Army militia and Iraqi security forces, saying it "served the interests of the occupiers."
Al-Sadr had gone into hiding in Iran four months ago at the start of the Baghdad security crackdown, but U.S. military officials said early Friday that he had returned to the holy city of Najaf, where he has a house. Residents in Najaf said they saw his motorcade leaving the city and heading toward Kufa on Friday morning. The black-turbaned leader then entered the revered mosque for prayers.
The 33-year-old leader, who has had an antagonistic relationship with the United States, is believed to be honing plans to consolidate political gains and foster ties with Iran. His Mahdi Army fought U.S. troops to a virtual standstill in 2004, but he ordered his militants off the streets when the U.S. began its security crackdown in the Baghdad area to avoid confrontation.
His associates say his strategy is based in part on a belief that Washington will soon start reducing troop strength, leaving behind a huge hole in Iraq's security and political power structure that he can fill. It was not clear why al-Sadr chose to return to Iraq now, although a major rival, Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and went to Iran for treatment.
Al-Sadr also believes that Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government may soon collapse amid its failure to improve security, services and the economy, al-Sadr's aides say. A political reshuffle would give the Sadrist movement, with its 30 seats in the 275-member parliament, a good chance of becoming a major player.
Al-Sadr had gone into hiding in Iran four months ago at the start of the Baghdad security crackdown, but U.S. military officials said early Friday that he had returned to the holy city of Najaf, where he has a house. Residents in Najaf said they saw his motorcade leaving the city and heading toward Kufa on Friday morning. The black-turbaned leader then entered the revered mosque for prayers.
The 33-year-old leader, who has had an antagonistic relationship with the United States, is believed to be honing plans to consolidate political gains and foster ties with Iran. His Mahdi Army fought U.S. troops to a virtual standstill in 2004, but he ordered his militants off the streets when the U.S. began its security crackdown in the Baghdad area to avoid confrontation.
His associates say his strategy is based in part on a belief that Washington will soon start reducing troop strength, leaving behind a huge hole in Iraq's security and political power structure that he can fill. It was not clear why al-Sadr chose to return to Iraq now, although a major rival, Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and went to Iran for treatment.
Al-Sadr also believes that Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government may soon collapse amid its failure to improve security, services and the economy, al-Sadr's aides say. A political reshuffle would give the Sadrist movement, with its 30 seats in the 275-member parliament, a good chance of becoming a major player.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iran, Kufa, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, politics
Shura Council in charge while al-Hakim receives treatment
Politics
(RFE/RL) - Hamid Ma'lah, a spokesman for the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), told Al-Sharqiyah television on May 22 that the party's Shura Council is running the affairs of the party in the absence of Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, who is in Tehran for cancer treatment. "At present, we have the SIIC's Central Shura committee, which regularly holds meetings to run SIIC affairs. There is no big administrative problem because we have institutions, which are headed by officials, and the SIIC has a central Shura committee that draws the broad outlines of the [party's] work. Work continues as usual," Ma'lah said. He added that if an important matter arises, the party will consult al-Hakim via telephone. Al-Hakim's son, Ammar, who heads the party's Badr Organization, told London-based "Al-Sharq al-Awsat" that it is unlikely he will assume his father's position as head of SIIC in the elder's absence, the daily reported on May 22.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Ammar al-Hakim, Hamid Ma'lah, Shura Council, SIIC, Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council
Monday, May 21, 2007
SIIC leader in Iran for cancer treatment
Politics
(Al Jazeera) - Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of Iraq's largest Shia party, is in Iran for lung cancer treatment after being diagnosed at a Texas hospital, officials close to the cleric say. The development is expected to create disarray in the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq, the political organisation the US has counted on to help push through reforms.
Al-Hakim flew to the US on Wednesday for tests after doctors at a US-run hospital in Baghdad detected signs of cancer in one of his lungs. The diagnosis was confirmed at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, officials in the al-Hakim organisation said on Sunday. Al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Islamic Council since 2003, will undergo chemotherapy treatment in Iran, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iran, Iraq's Shia neighbour to the east, hosted al-Hakim in exile for more than two decades during Saddam Hussein's rule. His party, formerly known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, was founded there with Iranian help in the early 1980s. Al-Hakim, who gave up a 30-year smoking habit last year, has been coughing and suffering from high blood pressure for months, the officials said. His cough became worse during two days of party meetings this month, where he was re-elected party leader.
News of al-Hakim's diagnosis came only hours after another Iraqi leader, Jalal Talabani, 73, Iraq's president, flew to the US for a checkup. He was hospitalised in Jordan three months ago after collapsing. Doctors said he was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration from lung and sinus infections. Talabani, a Kurd and an ally of al-Hakim, was expected to be away from Iraq for three weeks.
Al-Hakim flew to the US on Wednesday for tests after doctors at a US-run hospital in Baghdad detected signs of cancer in one of his lungs. The diagnosis was confirmed at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, officials in the al-Hakim organisation said on Sunday. Al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Islamic Council since 2003, will undergo chemotherapy treatment in Iran, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iran, Iraq's Shia neighbour to the east, hosted al-Hakim in exile for more than two decades during Saddam Hussein's rule. His party, formerly known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, was founded there with Iranian help in the early 1980s. Al-Hakim, who gave up a 30-year smoking habit last year, has been coughing and suffering from high blood pressure for months, the officials said. His cough became worse during two days of party meetings this month, where he was re-elected party leader.
News of al-Hakim's diagnosis came only hours after another Iraqi leader, Jalal Talabani, 73, Iraq's president, flew to the US for a checkup. He was hospitalised in Jordan three months ago after collapsing. Doctors said he was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration from lung and sinus infections. Talabani, a Kurd and an ally of al-Hakim, was expected to be away from Iraq for three weeks.
Al-Hakim chose treatment in Iran rather than the US because he wanted to be close to his family, party officials said. Proper treatment was not available in Iraq. Al-Hakim's choice of Iran also reflected his close links to the Shia theocracy there.
Al-Hakim's absence could last several months or longer, said the officials, thus robbing Iraq from a key political player who has been a major partner in US efforts to build a democratic system regardless of his ties to Iran. American efforts to push through major reforms such as an oil law, constitutional amendments and expanded opportunities for Sunnis in government would face even more hurdles without al-Hakim.
For his party, his absence is potentially more dramatic. "We are concerned," said Hameed Moalah, a lawmaker and a senior official of the Supreme Council. "We are in a difficult situation," he said of al-Hakim's expected absence. Redha Jawad Taqi, a senior party leader, said Adil Abdul-Mahdi, the vice-president, was running the party in al-Hakim's absence. Longer-term questions about succession at the top of the party remain unanswered. Al-Hakim's son, 35-year-old Amar, has for years been groomed to succeed his father, but there were no plans for him to assume a leadership role for another decade, Taqi said.
Al-Hakim's absence could last several months or longer, said the officials, thus robbing Iraq from a key political player who has been a major partner in US efforts to build a democratic system regardless of his ties to Iran. American efforts to push through major reforms such as an oil law, constitutional amendments and expanded opportunities for Sunnis in government would face even more hurdles without al-Hakim.
For his party, his absence is potentially more dramatic. "We are concerned," said Hameed Moalah, a lawmaker and a senior official of the Supreme Council. "We are in a difficult situation," he said of al-Hakim's expected absence. Redha Jawad Taqi, a senior party leader, said Adil Abdul-Mahdi, the vice-president, was running the party in al-Hakim's absence. Longer-term questions about succession at the top of the party remain unanswered. Al-Hakim's son, 35-year-old Amar, has for years been groomed to succeed his father, but there were no plans for him to assume a leadership role for another decade, Taqi said.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, cancer, Iran, Jalal Talabani, SIIC, Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq
Friday, May 18, 2007
Iraqi Shiite political factions divided over Iran-U.S. talks
Region, Security, Politics
(Gulf News) - Experts expect talks soon between Americans and Iranians on improving security and stability in Iraq. These talks are backed by Shiite parties in the Iraqi government especially the ruling coalition led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, a prominent political and religious figure in Iraq, who called for establishing such meetings between the two estranged countries.
Hassan Al Taee, leader in a nationalist party in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim aims at creating objective conditions for establishing a Shiite self-autonomy region in the middle and south of Iraq. "Al Hakim knows his aspiration clashes with the continuation of US-Iranian conflict because Americans would not allow establishing an Iraqi sectarian territory with tolerable ties with Iran, in the light of power struggle in the region."
Al Taee added: "At the other end, Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr's supporters are not satisfied with any US-Iranian talks because it means hindering Iranians' support to Shiite armed militias in Iraq." Esmail Al Jaf, a researcher in the political affairs told Gulf News : "Clearly there is a cleavage amid Shiites concerning US-Iranian dialogue. I think some Shiite parties want to be in reckoning with their rivals by supporting such talks.
"Recently, we witnessed few attacks conducted by the Mehdi Army against offices of the Supreme Council led by Al Hakim in the Sadr neighbourhood and in Diwaniya."
Topics like the Mehdi Army and the Iranian support will occupy top positions at these security talks. Americans accuse Iran of backing and harbouring hundreds of Mehdi members in camps belonging to Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the Iraqi-Iranian border. Iran denies the allegations. The American army has repeatedly displayed captured Iranian weapons and arrested cells linked to the Mehdi army who use such weapons, specifically highly explosive devices used to attack armoured American rangers in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas.
Sunni Arabs hold deep suspicions about the US-Iranian talks. They fear that it will harm their political rights.
On the other hand, Baathists are extremely concerned because it weakens their attempts in portraying Iran's vigorous influence and threat in Iraq thereby forcing Americans to accept Baath role in the political life and decision-making process within the Iraqi national reconciliation framework.
Eyad Mousa, member of the dissolved Baath Party, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim sought desperately for US-Iranian dialogue to block Baathists return because Baath is the only Iraqi peer against Iranian influence in the region."
Hassan Al Taee, leader in a nationalist party in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim aims at creating objective conditions for establishing a Shiite self-autonomy region in the middle and south of Iraq. "Al Hakim knows his aspiration clashes with the continuation of US-Iranian conflict because Americans would not allow establishing an Iraqi sectarian territory with tolerable ties with Iran, in the light of power struggle in the region."
Al Taee added: "At the other end, Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr's supporters are not satisfied with any US-Iranian talks because it means hindering Iranians' support to Shiite armed militias in Iraq." Esmail Al Jaf, a researcher in the political affairs told Gulf News : "Clearly there is a cleavage amid Shiites concerning US-Iranian dialogue. I think some Shiite parties want to be in reckoning with their rivals by supporting such talks.
"Recently, we witnessed few attacks conducted by the Mehdi Army against offices of the Supreme Council led by Al Hakim in the Sadr neighbourhood and in Diwaniya."
Topics like the Mehdi Army and the Iranian support will occupy top positions at these security talks. Americans accuse Iran of backing and harbouring hundreds of Mehdi members in camps belonging to Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the Iraqi-Iranian border. Iran denies the allegations. The American army has repeatedly displayed captured Iranian weapons and arrested cells linked to the Mehdi army who use such weapons, specifically highly explosive devices used to attack armoured American rangers in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas.
Sunni Arabs hold deep suspicions about the US-Iranian talks. They fear that it will harm their political rights.
On the other hand, Baathists are extremely concerned because it weakens their attempts in portraying Iran's vigorous influence and threat in Iraq thereby forcing Americans to accept Baath role in the political life and decision-making process within the Iraqi national reconciliation framework.
Eyad Mousa, member of the dissolved Baath Party, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim sought desperately for US-Iranian dialogue to block Baathists return because Baath is the only Iraqi peer against Iranian influence in the region."
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Baathists, Iran, Iraq, Moqtada Al-Sadr, U.S.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
SCIRI leader calls for 'security agreement'
Politics
(AP) - The leader of Iraq's largest Shiite political party on Saturday called for a "security agreement" to be negotiated between Iraq and U.S.-led forces to outline the authorities of each side in a further indication of growing frustration over America's role in Iraq. Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim did not give more details of the proposed pact. In the past he has repeatedly complained that the U.S. military's lead in the fight against Sunni insurgents hampered the work of Iraq's Shiite-dominated security forces, which he contended were better qualified to fight the insurgents given their knowledge of the terrain and language.
"We are working toward reaching a security agreement to define the authority of each side," al-Hakim told a news conference after a two-day meeting of his party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Al-Hakim's comments coincided with an ongoing campaign by lawmakers loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to get parliament to adopt legislation demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of the U.S.-led troops in Iraq and a freeze on the number of foreign forces already in the country. Officials said this week the proposed legislation has been signed by 144 members of the 275-member house, but it is not likely to retain the support of all of them if it is put to a vote.
Addressing the same news conference, senior al-Hakim aide Hummam Hamoudi sought to play down the significance of a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces, saying it was more important to reach a timetable for the training and equipping of Iraqi troops.
Al-Hakim said his party remained committed to the creation of a semiautonomous region in Iraq's mainly Shiite south, but stressed that such a move hinged on popular support. A federal Iraq is a key plank of the party's ideology, but politicians from the once-dominant Sunni Arab minority insist that federalism would eventually lead to the breakup of the country. Federalism was enshrined in a new constitution adopted in 2005. "We are working for the creation of a region in the center and south ... under the mechanisms provided by in the constitution and with the approval of the people," he said.
"We are working toward reaching a security agreement to define the authority of each side," al-Hakim told a news conference after a two-day meeting of his party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Al-Hakim's comments coincided with an ongoing campaign by lawmakers loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to get parliament to adopt legislation demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of the U.S.-led troops in Iraq and a freeze on the number of foreign forces already in the country. Officials said this week the proposed legislation has been signed by 144 members of the 275-member house, but it is not likely to retain the support of all of them if it is put to a vote.
Addressing the same news conference, senior al-Hakim aide Hummam Hamoudi sought to play down the significance of a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces, saying it was more important to reach a timetable for the training and equipping of Iraqi troops.
Al-Hakim said his party remained committed to the creation of a semiautonomous region in Iraq's mainly Shiite south, but stressed that such a move hinged on popular support. A federal Iraq is a key plank of the party's ideology, but politicians from the once-dominant Sunni Arab minority insist that federalism would eventually lead to the breakup of the country. Federalism was enshrined in a new constitution adopted in 2005. "We are working for the creation of a region in the center and south ... under the mechanisms provided by in the constitution and with the approval of the people," he said.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, federalism, Hummam Hamoudi, SCIRI, troop withdrawal
SCIRI changes political platform, name
Politics
(Stratfor) - The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) said May 11 it will change its political platform to align itself more closely with Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and to move toward an "Iraqization" of the party. SCIRI members said the party's name will be changed to the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, removing the word "revolution," which was a reference to the fight against the Baathist regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. The announcement follows a four-day SCIRI meeting of members from around the world.
Reuters reports that since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam in 2003, SCIRI has been a key player in Iraqi politics. It holds around a quarter of the seats in parliament in the ruling Shi'ite Alliance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. SCIRI's leader, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, is a powerful cleric who has good relations with the United States.
Officials said SCIRI would introduce terms such as democracy and elections into its political platform to reflect what they called the changing situation in Iraq. "There will be a change in two aspects -- the structure of the group and also in its political language, taking into consideration the political facts on the ground," another official who is at the conference said without elaborating.
"On political language, we will introduce terms more like democracy and elections. Those who follow us closely will notice that we have introduced new terms in our speeches for a while, now we are setting it out formally."
Officials said SCIRI would introduce terms such as democracy and elections into its political platform to reflect what they called the changing situation in Iraq. "There will be a change in two aspects -- the structure of the group and also in its political language, taking into consideration the political facts on the ground," another official who is at the conference said without elaborating.
"On political language, we will introduce terms more like democracy and elections. Those who follow us closely will notice that we have introduced new terms in our speeches for a while, now we are setting it out formally."
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, SCIRI, Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council
Friday, May 11, 2007
Will Maliki be able to stay the course?
Politics
(Gulf News) - The fate of Nouri Al Maliki's government has been the subject of many Iraqi rumours and possible scenarios. Rumours differed on whether Al Maliki will continue as the prime minister or leave office. Described by observers, Baghdad is witnessing political momentum towards 'military coup' to overthrow the Shiite coalition government headed by Al Maliki.
In Baghdad, analysts believe coming July will be crucial and decisive and decide Al Maliki and Iraq's fate. In Shiite circles there are speculations that the Shiite coalition leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, if Al Maliki failed in the security and reconciliation, will announce the Shiite autonomy territory in the south and middle of Iraq including nine provinces.
Mudhir Al Husaini, a Political researcher at Baghdad University, told Gulf News: "The new security plan for Baghdad, which started three months ago, is a double-edged sword. If Al Maliki succeeds in halting the decadent security situation then he will remain in his office but if he fails to do so then his position is increasingly shaky".
He added: "The Sharm Al Shaikh international covenant conference and the neighbouring countries meeting was considered as Al Maliki's last opportunity to prove his effectiveness in halting sectarian violence or he would lose the support provided by the conferees and have to leave his office".
One name that surfaces while discussing Al Maliki's successor is Eyad Allawi, Iraq's former interim prime minister who is Shiite and more secular than Al Maliki and not deeply tied to Iran. He seeks to exploit the recent prime minister's security and political failure in the light of Americans desire to form an Iraqi emergency government.
Allawi will most probably be the leading candidate for heading the next alternative government, and accordingly he is seeking to gain trust and support from political blocs like Kurds, the Sadr trend, the Fadhila party and some Sunni parties, beside moving towards obtaining vigorous backing of some regional states. Mohammad Abdul Sahib, a senior official at the Iraqi National Dialogue Ministry, told Gulf News: "We have gone to lengthy rounds in contacting Iraqi opposition armed groups which have their own conditions."
In Baghdad, analysts believe coming July will be crucial and decisive and decide Al Maliki and Iraq's fate. In Shiite circles there are speculations that the Shiite coalition leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, if Al Maliki failed in the security and reconciliation, will announce the Shiite autonomy territory in the south and middle of Iraq including nine provinces.
Mudhir Al Husaini, a Political researcher at Baghdad University, told Gulf News: "The new security plan for Baghdad, which started three months ago, is a double-edged sword. If Al Maliki succeeds in halting the decadent security situation then he will remain in his office but if he fails to do so then his position is increasingly shaky".
He added: "The Sharm Al Shaikh international covenant conference and the neighbouring countries meeting was considered as Al Maliki's last opportunity to prove his effectiveness in halting sectarian violence or he would lose the support provided by the conferees and have to leave his office".
One name that surfaces while discussing Al Maliki's successor is Eyad Allawi, Iraq's former interim prime minister who is Shiite and more secular than Al Maliki and not deeply tied to Iran. He seeks to exploit the recent prime minister's security and political failure in the light of Americans desire to form an Iraqi emergency government.
Allawi will most probably be the leading candidate for heading the next alternative government, and accordingly he is seeking to gain trust and support from political blocs like Kurds, the Sadr trend, the Fadhila party and some Sunni parties, beside moving towards obtaining vigorous backing of some regional states. Mohammad Abdul Sahib, a senior official at the Iraqi National Dialogue Ministry, told Gulf News: "We have gone to lengthy rounds in contacting Iraqi opposition armed groups which have their own conditions."
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iyad Allawi, Nouri Al-Maliki, politics, Sharm el-Sheikh
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Islamic State in Iraq claims Ammar al-Hakim assassination attempt
Security, Politics
(Reuters) - A group linked to al Qaeda on Saturday claimed responsibility for attacking the convoy of the son of powerful Iraqi Shi'ite politician Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim in southern Baghdad, according to an Internet statement. Six bodyguards were injured in Thursday's attack on the convoy of Ammar al-Hakim, which his father's office had said was not an attack on him personally.
"By the strength of God, an attack with light and medium weapons and rocket propelled grenades was launched on the convoy," the staunchly Sunni self-styled Islamic State in Iraq said in a statement on the Internet. It called Ammar al-Hakim a villain and Iranian infidel. "He was very close to being killed," the group added.
Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim is leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the biggest party in Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national unity cabinet. Ammar al-Hakim also holds positions in SCIRI. The party had said that Ammar al-Hakim's convoy was fired on as it was travelling in the southern Baghdad district of Doura after leaving the southern holy Shi'ite city of Najaf. In February, U.S. troops detained Ammar Hakim for several hours near the Iranian border, sparking protests in Shi'ite cities. He was later freed.
"By the strength of God, an attack with light and medium weapons and rocket propelled grenades was launched on the convoy," the staunchly Sunni self-styled Islamic State in Iraq said in a statement on the Internet. It called Ammar al-Hakim a villain and Iranian infidel. "He was very close to being killed," the group added.
Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim is leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the biggest party in Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national unity cabinet. Ammar al-Hakim also holds positions in SCIRI. The party had said that Ammar al-Hakim's convoy was fired on as it was travelling in the southern Baghdad district of Doura after leaving the southern holy Shi'ite city of Najaf. In February, U.S. troops detained Ammar Hakim for several hours near the Iranian border, sparking protests in Shi'ite cities. He was later freed.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Ammar al-Hakim, Islamic State in Iraq, SCIRI
Sunday, March 25, 2007
MPs seek support from Arab leaders
Politics, Region
(Khaleej Times) - Sunni MP Zafer Al Anni called on the Arab leaders to ask the Iraqi government during the upcoming Arab Summit - scheduled for March 28 - to be committed towards ‘correcting the mistakes it committed during the past time, especially those related to formulating the constitution, uprooting the Baath party and calling off militias based on a time plan.’ Al Anni further called on the Arab states to ‘direct a clear message to end the foreign interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, which led to violence in the country.’
Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, head of Iraqi national accord front, called for Arab leaders’ support of the ‘political process (in Iraq) and the respect of the Iraqi people’s will’. Al Hakim and the other party members had met Saturday with premier Nuri Al Maliki to review Iraq’s governments requests to be presented before the Arab Summit.
In the meantime, deputy Parliament Speaker Khaled Al Attiya sai d Sunday that a number of Iraqi MPs were ‘involved in actions lying under the terrorism law. ‘We asked some courts to lift the (parliamentary) immunity of some MPs before they are being liable to any interrogation,’ Iraqi State Al Sabah newspaper quoted him as saying.The Iraqi Parliament had earlier lifted the immunity of MP Moshan Al Jabouri for dedicating a TV channel promoting operations against the US forces as well as sectarian violence.
Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, head of Iraqi national accord front, called for Arab leaders’ support of the ‘political process (in Iraq) and the respect of the Iraqi people’s will’. Al Hakim and the other party members had met Saturday with premier Nuri Al Maliki to review Iraq’s governments requests to be presented before the Arab Summit.
In the meantime, deputy Parliament Speaker Khaled Al Attiya sai d Sunday that a number of Iraqi MPs were ‘involved in actions lying under the terrorism law. ‘We asked some courts to lift the (parliamentary) immunity of some MPs before they are being liable to any interrogation,’ Iraqi State Al Sabah newspaper quoted him as saying.The Iraqi Parliament had earlier lifted the immunity of MP Moshan Al Jabouri for dedicating a TV channel promoting operations against the US forces as well as sectarian violence.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Arab Summit, Zafer Al Anni
