Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sistani aide survives assassination attempt in Basra
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - An aide to the top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani survived on Tuesday evening an attempt on his life in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, an eyewitness said. "Unknown gunmen opened fire at Imad Abdul-Karim, Imam of Mosa al-Kadhem mosque, this evening, in al-Hussein neighborhood, western Basra," Sheikh Saied al-Saadi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The eyewitness added "Abdul-Karim sustained minor wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital." Abdul Karim is a representative of Sayyed Sistani in Basra. The attack also resulted in killing one of Abdul-Karim's bodyguards, the witness said. Over the last two weeks, two aides to Sistani were killed in separate attacks in Basra.
The eyewitness added "Abdul-Karim sustained minor wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital." Abdul Karim is a representative of Sayyed Sistani in Basra. The attack also resulted in killing one of Abdul-Karim's bodyguards, the witness said. Over the last two weeks, two aides to Sistani were killed in separate attacks in Basra.
Labels: assassination attempt, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Basra, Imad Abdul-Karim, Mosa al-Kadhem mosque
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Top clerics name start dates for Ramadan
Religion
(AFP) - Iraq's minority Sunni Arab community will begin observing Ramadan -- Islam's holiest period -- from Thursday, followed a day later by the majority Shiites, top clerics said. Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Ghafur al-Sammaraie, the head of Sunni religious endowment in Iraq, said the Sunni Arabs in the war-ravaged country would observe Ramadan from Thursday. "The legal committee for observing the crescent has decided that Thursday is the first day of Ramadan," Sammaraie said in a statement.
Iraq's Shiites, who are a minority in the Muslim world but make up the majority in Iraq, will observe the holy period from Friday, according to the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the seniormost Shiite cleric. "The office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani expects that the crescent will be observed late Thursday and Friday will be the first day of Ramadan," a statement from Sistani's office said.
Baghdadis were out on the streets in numbers on Wednesday, purchasing sweets, pastries, and other food and household items for Ramadan. During the dawn-to-dusk fasting month, the nightly curfew will be eased in the capital, coming into effect at midnight instead of at 11:00 pm. It will continue to be enforced until 5:00 am. Authorities have also scrapped the weekly vehicle curfew that usually applies between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Fridays, for the duration of the fasting month.
However, vehicles will not be allowed over the many bridges that span the Tigris River and link east and west Baghdad on the Muslim day of prayer and rest. On Wednesday, the interior ministry issued a list of instructions it said were aimed at thwarting attacks during Ramadan, a period of high violence in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Baghdadis were out on the streets in numbers on Wednesday, purchasing sweets, pastries, and other food and household items for Ramadan. During the dawn-to-dusk fasting month, the nightly curfew will be eased in the capital, coming into effect at midnight instead of at 11:00 pm. It will continue to be enforced until 5:00 am. Authorities have also scrapped the weekly vehicle curfew that usually applies between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Fridays, for the duration of the fasting month.
However, vehicles will not be allowed over the many bridges that span the Tigris River and link east and west Baghdad on the Muslim day of prayer and rest. On Wednesday, the interior ministry issued a list of instructions it said were aimed at thwarting attacks during Ramadan, a period of high violence in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, curfew, Ramadan, Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Ghafur al-Sammaraie
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Sistani aide assassinated in Basra
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - An official source from Basra provincial council said on Tuesday unknown gunmen killed an aide to the top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani after storming his house in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
"Unknown gunmen stormed, last night, the house of Sayyed Hussein al-Husaini in al-Jiniynah neighborhood, northern Basra, and killed him," the source, who spoke on anonymity condition, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The source added that al-Husaini, a Sistani representative in Basra, is also the Imam of the Shiite al-Mahtah mosque. This is the second incident in as many days after unknown gunmen shot dead Sheikh Muslim al-Battat, an aide to Sistani, a week ago in Basra. Basra, a predominantly Shiite city, is 590 km south of Baghdad.
"Unknown gunmen stormed, last night, the house of Sayyed Hussein al-Husaini in al-Jiniynah neighborhood, northern Basra, and killed him," the source, who spoke on anonymity condition, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The source added that al-Husaini, a Sistani representative in Basra, is also the Imam of the Shiite al-Mahtah mosque. This is the second incident in as many days after unknown gunmen shot dead Sheikh Muslim al-Battat, an aide to Sistani, a week ago in Basra. Basra, a predominantly Shiite city, is 590 km south of Baghdad.
Labels: al-Mahtah mosque, assassination, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Basra Provincial Council, Sayyed Hussein al-Husaini, Sheikh Muslim al-Battat
Monday, September 10, 2007
Religious clerics become increasingly powerful
Politics
(IPS) - Religious clerics are beginning to play an increasingly powerful role in Iraq. Many Iraqis now fear that they are endangering human rights and religious freedom in the once largely secular country. Clerics began to play a major role since the U.S.-led occupation began in April 2003. Despite the promises of U.S. President George W. Bush to turn Iraq into a secular and free country, clerics have become the real leaders, and are beginning to control most political matters.
"It is the Iraqis' misfortune that the international coalition has brought clerics to power," Dr. Shakir Hamdan, an expert on Islamic issues told IPS in Baghdad. "They will only lead the country into sectarian wars and take the whole country into the dark ages where one man rules and freedom is lost." Hamdam cited a recent meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the powerful Shia Grand Ayatollah, Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, where matters of state were discussed. "One can clearly see that already the powerful influence of clerics is apparent," Hamdan said. "The parliament and government cannot take any step without first consulting the clerics."
Iraq was largely secular under the rule of Saddam Hussein, given Saddam's fear that religious movements and their leaders may undermine his power. The invasion and occupation destroyed the Iraqi state and its institutions, leaving a power vacuum which was filled by religious leaders who offered basic services the state could no longer provide.
"Our country has turned from a secular into a purely religious country," Munthir Sulayman, social reform activist in Baghdad told IPS. "We were dreaming of a huge development in social affairs to become more modern and free, where individuals can play their natural role in developing the country through participation in politics, economy and all aspects of life. What has happened is the opposite, and the country has become completely under control of clerics." S
everal academics and community leaders say they have lost their role in trying to improve the political and social structure. The major Sunni group of clerics, The Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), denies that imams are trying to upstage the government. "The country needs to be led by those who have experience and knowledge of the ways of reform and construction," Dr. Abdul-Salam al-Kubayssi, assistant secretary general of the AMS told IPS in Baghdad. "Our role is to support any national government that leads the country to safety and prosperity without playing any role of supervision or interference in its functioning. Ruling Iraq is too complicated to be led by a group of imams."
But the U.S. occupation forces and their leadership have depended on clerics since the early days of occupation. The Iraqi Governing Council included clerics like Ayatollah Bahrul-Uloom and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, together with leaders of other Islamic parties like al-Dawa and the Iraqi Islamic Party. The elections in January 2005 were almost completely controlled by religious groups and their political parties. Shia parties, especially The Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, led by Hakim, cited Sistani asking "believers" to vote for the political list that included the Shia coalition. That list continues to play a powerful role in government today.
U.S. forces and their appointed election supervisors did little to stop such sectarianism. "It was the American theory to cooperate with clerics in order to control the situation in Iraq right from the beginning of occupation," Fadhil Yasseen, a lawyer in Baghdad, told IPS. "That was obvious from the gestures that (former Coalition Provisional Authority head) Paul Bremer made to Sistani, and the full support he gave to the Shia coalition to take full control of Iraq." Yasseen added: "Now Iraqis and Americans are paying the cost with their blood and fortunes." Shia imams are now themselves divided. This is evident in their failure to agree on a coherent policy to take Iraq forward. Rival Shia groups are fighting each other to grab power in the Shia dominated areas of Baghdad and southern Iraq.
Labels: Association of Muslim Scholars of Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Dr. Abdul-Salam al-Kubayssi, politics, religious clerics
Friday, September 07, 2007
Ayatollah Al Sistani Demands To Remove Weapons From The Holy Cities
(Al Bayyna Newspaper) - 6 SEP - Yesterday, Prime Minister, Nuri Al Maliki, visited Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani and informed him of the recent progress in the political process. Also, Ayatollah Al Sistani demanded to remove weapons from the holy cities such as Karbala, Najaf and other cities. These cities need to be safe zones. Al Maliki said that he will meet with the Karbala and Najaf Provincial Councils. He confirmed that the vacant ministries will not remain empty. The government will choose ministers for these vacancies.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Karbala, Najaf, Nouri Al-Maliki, safe zones
Al-Maliki determined to flush out Mahdi Army from Najaf, Karbala shrines
Politics
(Azzaman) - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is determined to clear the holy shrines of Najaf and Karbala of armed supporters of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, sources in Maliki’s party al-Daawa said. They said Maliki made the pledge in a meeting with the country’s top Shiite clergyman, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Sadr has a political movement with a powerful military wing, the Mahdi Army, whose fighters have had until recently a dominant role among the multifarious Shiite militia groups in southern Iraq. But Sadr has ordered a six-month halt to operations targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops and his supporters are now rarely seen with arms in the streets of the two cities.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maliki is considering a plan to ‘uproot’ Sadr supporters similar to the policy of debaathification under which members and supporters of the former regime have been prevented from holding government posts. But it is not clear how Maliki would carry out such a pledge amid reports that the popularity of the young cleric and his Sadr movement is growing, particularly among the Shiites in Bagdad and major towns in southern Iraq. The movement which has 30 deputies in parliament and has the right to fill five ministerial posts has frozen its participation in the government in protest against Maliki’s policies.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maliki is considering a plan to ‘uproot’ Sadr supporters similar to the policy of debaathification under which members and supporters of the former regime have been prevented from holding government posts. But it is not clear how Maliki would carry out such a pledge amid reports that the popularity of the young cleric and his Sadr movement is growing, particularly among the Shiites in Bagdad and major towns in southern Iraq. The movement which has 30 deputies in parliament and has the right to fill five ministerial posts has frozen its participation in the government in protest against Maliki’s policies.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Najaf, Nouri Al-Maliki
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Al-Maliki seeks Sistani's advice on filling empty ministerial posts
Politics
(Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met on Wednesday with the reclusive leader of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to discuss a government crisis in which nearly half his cabinet has quit. Sistani is the sponsor of the prime minister's ruling United Alliance and rarely leaves his home in the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf in southern Iraq.
Speaking after the meeting, Maliki told reporters he had come to Najaf to seek Sistani's advice on filling empty ministerial posts and to get his thoughts on the possibility of reforming the government. "I discussed with him the case of the government. I asked his help in forming a government and nominating new ministers, or if there is the possibility to form a new government based on technocrats," he said.
Maliki did not say how Sistani responded, and the cleric's office declined to comment. One of the biggest blocs in the United Alliance, the movement of fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, pulled out of the government in April in protest at Maliki's refusal to set a timetable for a U.S. troop timetable.
The biggest Sunni Arab bloc in parliament, the Accordance Front, has also pulled out its ministers, accusing Maliki of sectarianism. The walkouts have dealt a blow to efforts to bridge the deep divide between Iraq's Shi'ite and Sunni Arab communities and reach agreement on laws seen by Washington as vital to fostering national reconciliation.
Amid calls by some Democrats in Washington for his ouster, Maliki is under growing pressure to show political progress to match the military gains that have been made in certain areas. Maliki also said he was considering a proposal to declare Iraq's holy cities, which are home to some of the most important shrines in Shi'ite Islam, weapons-free zones, with only the military entitled to be armed.
Speaking after the meeting, Maliki told reporters he had come to Najaf to seek Sistani's advice on filling empty ministerial posts and to get his thoughts on the possibility of reforming the government. "I discussed with him the case of the government. I asked his help in forming a government and nominating new ministers, or if there is the possibility to form a new government based on technocrats," he said.
Maliki did not say how Sistani responded, and the cleric's office declined to comment. One of the biggest blocs in the United Alliance, the movement of fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, pulled out of the government in April in protest at Maliki's refusal to set a timetable for a U.S. troop timetable.
The biggest Sunni Arab bloc in parliament, the Accordance Front, has also pulled out its ministers, accusing Maliki of sectarianism. The walkouts have dealt a blow to efforts to bridge the deep divide between Iraq's Shi'ite and Sunni Arab communities and reach agreement on laws seen by Washington as vital to fostering national reconciliation.
Amid calls by some Democrats in Washington for his ouster, Maliki is under growing pressure to show political progress to match the military gains that have been made in certain areas. Maliki also said he was considering a proposal to declare Iraq's holy cities, which are home to some of the most important shrines in Shi'ite Islam, weapons-free zones, with only the military entitled to be armed.
"I am considering that holy shrines and sacred cities be peaceful places and disarmed of weapons and under the protection of the Iraqi army," Maliki said, without elaborating. The proposal follows fierce fighting near the Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas shrines in Kerbala last week in which dozens of people were killed. The fighting disrupted a major religious festival and forced hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to flee. The gun battles appeared to involve Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, a rival Shi'ite faction whose armed wing controls police in much of the south.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Najaf, Nouri Al-Maliki
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sistani aides kidnapped in Mahdi Army controlled area of Karbala
Security
(KUNA) -- Angered by Tuesday's clashes between policemen of Karbala City and the Shiite militia of Al-Mahdi's Army, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki decided Wednesday to sack commander of police operations' center Major General Saleh Khazal Al-Maliki and run the center by himself. He also fired 1,500 other police officers. Al-Maliki's decree sacking the police chief and other police officers was meant to blame them of professional incompetence, Spokesman of Iraqi Ministry of Defense Staff Major General Mohammad Al-Askari told KUNA here.
The Prime Minister visited the embattled city earlier in the day to defuse the two-day riots and chaos among Iraqis during religious Shiite rites. Soon after his arrival in Karbala, Al-Maliki convened with Minister of Defense Mohammad Abdul-Qader Al-Ubaidi and National Security Advisor Mowaffaq Al-Rubaiei as well as local military and civilian leaders. He imposed a curfew as of Wednesday morning pending further notice and ordered the arrest of anyone who breaks his instructions. Al-Maliki held "criminal gangs" and "remnants of Al-Baath Party" responsible for the riots and attacks against visitors of the holy city. He vowed to track down the perpetrators and culprits of the riots that left 55 dead and some 300 others injured.
The malicious design targeting the stability in the holy city and the safety of its citizens was aborted, the prime minister asserted, adding that the situation was brought under full control of the security forces after the arrival of military backup. The militants targeted to occupy the two holy shrines and topple Al-Maliki's government, Al-Rubaiei said. Commandoes took part in normalizing the situation in the southern Iraqi city, he added.
However, local sources told KUNA two secretaries of the Shiite cleric Al-Sistani; Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaei and Ahmad Al-Safi were still seized in areas adjacent to the two holy shrines of the city which are under full control of Al-Mahdi Army.
Labels: Ahmad Al-Safi, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Major General Saleh Khazal Al-Maliki, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaei
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Explosion in front of Sistani's office
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - An explosive charge went off on Monday afternoon in front of an office of top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the city of Hilla, causing material damage to the building, a police source said. "A local-made bomb was detonated in front of Al-Sistani's al-Mustafa cultural institution in central Hilla," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The director of the institution lives near to the building, which was blown up," he also said, noting that no one was in the building during the explosion. Four al-Sistani's aides were killed in the past two months in the city of Najaf. Hilla, capital city of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad.
"The director of the institution lives near to the building, which was blown up," he also said, noting that no one was in the building during the explosion. Four al-Sistani's aides were killed in the past two months in the city of Najaf. Hilla, capital city of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad.
Labels: al-Mustafa cultural institution, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Hilla
Friday, August 03, 2007
Second Sistani aide murdered in two weeks
Security
(AP) - On Friday, an aide to Iraq's top cleric was killed in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, a security official there said on condition of anonymity out of safety concerns. Fadhil al-Akil was in charge of collecting a Shiite religious tax known as "khoms," which is paid to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and used to run his seminaries and charities.
Gunmen approached al-Akil and shot him dead around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, the security official said. He was the second al-Sistani aide murdered in less than two weeks, raising questions about the Shiite cleric's own safety. Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi, who also collected religious taxes for al-Sistani, was stabbed to death inside the cleric's fortified compound on July 27 or 28th, police said, and a security guard was arrested afterward.
A month earlier, yet another aide was killed in a drive-by shooting. It is unclear whether the killings are part of internal Shiite disputes or the work of Sunni insurgents opposed to the vast influence enjoyed by al-Sistani over Iraqi Shiites and politics.
Al-Sistani, who rarely leaves his compound and doesn't grant media interviews, has been the target of at least one assassination attempt since 2003. The cleric, who is in his 70s, commands the deep respect of Iraq's majority Shiites. A death other than one of natural causes could spark riots by millions of his followers and fuel more sectarian violence.
Najaf has been relatively safe compared to the violence in Baghdad or other cities in the volatile center and north of Iraq, but a series of unsolved murders in recent months have struck clerics, academics and security officials. None of the killings had an obvious motive or could be linked to tribal, personal or religious disputes.
Gunmen approached al-Akil and shot him dead around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, the security official said. He was the second al-Sistani aide murdered in less than two weeks, raising questions about the Shiite cleric's own safety. Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi, who also collected religious taxes for al-Sistani, was stabbed to death inside the cleric's fortified compound on July 27 or 28th, police said, and a security guard was arrested afterward.
A month earlier, yet another aide was killed in a drive-by shooting. It is unclear whether the killings are part of internal Shiite disputes or the work of Sunni insurgents opposed to the vast influence enjoyed by al-Sistani over Iraqi Shiites and politics.
Al-Sistani, who rarely leaves his compound and doesn't grant media interviews, has been the target of at least one assassination attempt since 2003. The cleric, who is in his 70s, commands the deep respect of Iraq's majority Shiites. A death other than one of natural causes could spark riots by millions of his followers and fuel more sectarian violence.
Najaf has been relatively safe compared to the violence in Baghdad or other cities in the volatile center and north of Iraq, but a series of unsolved murders in recent months have struck clerics, academics and security officials. None of the killings had an obvious motive or could be linked to tribal, personal or religious disputes.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Fadhil al-Akil, khoms, Najaf, Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Al-Jaafari leads internal revolt against Maliki
Politics
(AP) - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faces a revolt within his party by factions that want him out as Iraqi leader, according to officials in his office and the political party he leads. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, al-Maliki's predecessor, leads the challenge and already has approached leaders of the country's two main Kurdish parties, parliament's two Sunni Arab blocs and lawmakers loyal to powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Al-Jaafari's campaign, the officials said, was based on his concerns that al-Maliki's policies had led Iraq into turmoil because the prime minister was doing too little to promote national reconciliation. The former prime minister also has approached Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, proposing a "national salvation" government to replace the al-Maliki coalition. The Iranian-born al-Sistani refused to endorse the proposal, the officials said.
"Al-Jaafari is proposing a national and nonsectarian political plan to save the nation," said Faleh al-Fayadh, a Dawa party lawmaker familiar with the former prime minister's contacts. Other officials, however, said al-Jaafari had only an outside chance of replacing or ousting al-Maliki. But they said the challenge could undermine al-Maliki and further entangle efforts at meeting important legislative benchmarks sought by Washington. They spoke of the sensitive political wrangling only on condition of anonymity.
The officials would not give details of the rift between al-Maliki and al-Jaafari, saying only that it began two months ago when a Dawa party congress voted to replace al-Jaafari with al-Maliki as its leader. Al-Jaafari and other senior Dawa members are questioning the legality of that vote and the former prime minister has since boycotted all official party functions, said al-Fayadh.
The usually secretive Dawa, which is made up of two factions, has 25 of parliament's 275 seats but draws its strength from being a key faction of a large Shiite alliance. Ali al-Dabbagh, the government's spokesman, declined to comment on the rift between al-Maliki and al-Jaafari, arguing that it was a matter for the Dawa to deal with. "There should be no objections for a figure like al-Jaafari to try and put together a new political bloc provided that this will be of service to the political process," he said.
Al-Jaafari's own record in office was not any better than al-Maliki's has been so far, but al-Jaafari was widely perceived as an open-minded Islamist who is at total ease dealing with his American backers. To the Sunni Arabs he is courting now, the officials said, al-Jaafari was proposing a change in Iraq's sectarian, power-sharing formula. He wants the president's job, now held by Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, to be given to a Sunni Arab to achieve a better balance between Iraq's ethnic and religious factions and to improve ties with Arab nations.
To win the support of the Kurds, al-Jaafari is pledging the implementation of a clause in the constitution that provides for a referendum before the end of 2007 on the fate of Kirkuk, an oil-rich city in northern Iraq that the Kurds want to annex. To compensate them for the loss of the presidency, al-Jaafari is proposing that they fill the post of parliament speaker, now occupied by a Sunni Arab.
Al-Jaafari's bid to topple al-Maliki runs counter to ongoing negotiations to form what is being billed an "alliance of the moderates" that would include the country's four largest Shiite and Kurdish parties and independent Shiites. It excludes hardline Shiites and Sunni Arabs. It also comes at a time when al-Maliki is facing a threat by the largest Sunni Arab bloc to pull its ministers from his coalition unless he meets a long list of demands, which include overtures to minority Sunni Arabs, political inclusion and commitment to human rights.
Al-Jaafari's campaign, the officials said, was based on his concerns that al-Maliki's policies had led Iraq into turmoil because the prime minister was doing too little to promote national reconciliation. The former prime minister also has approached Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, proposing a "national salvation" government to replace the al-Maliki coalition. The Iranian-born al-Sistani refused to endorse the proposal, the officials said.
"Al-Jaafari is proposing a national and nonsectarian political plan to save the nation," said Faleh al-Fayadh, a Dawa party lawmaker familiar with the former prime minister's contacts. Other officials, however, said al-Jaafari had only an outside chance of replacing or ousting al-Maliki. But they said the challenge could undermine al-Maliki and further entangle efforts at meeting important legislative benchmarks sought by Washington. They spoke of the sensitive political wrangling only on condition of anonymity.
The officials would not give details of the rift between al-Maliki and al-Jaafari, saying only that it began two months ago when a Dawa party congress voted to replace al-Jaafari with al-Maliki as its leader. Al-Jaafari and other senior Dawa members are questioning the legality of that vote and the former prime minister has since boycotted all official party functions, said al-Fayadh.
The usually secretive Dawa, which is made up of two factions, has 25 of parliament's 275 seats but draws its strength from being a key faction of a large Shiite alliance. Ali al-Dabbagh, the government's spokesman, declined to comment on the rift between al-Maliki and al-Jaafari, arguing that it was a matter for the Dawa to deal with. "There should be no objections for a figure like al-Jaafari to try and put together a new political bloc provided that this will be of service to the political process," he said.
Al-Jaafari's own record in office was not any better than al-Maliki's has been so far, but al-Jaafari was widely perceived as an open-minded Islamist who is at total ease dealing with his American backers. To the Sunni Arabs he is courting now, the officials said, al-Jaafari was proposing a change in Iraq's sectarian, power-sharing formula. He wants the president's job, now held by Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, to be given to a Sunni Arab to achieve a better balance between Iraq's ethnic and religious factions and to improve ties with Arab nations.
To win the support of the Kurds, al-Jaafari is pledging the implementation of a clause in the constitution that provides for a referendum before the end of 2007 on the fate of Kirkuk, an oil-rich city in northern Iraq that the Kurds want to annex. To compensate them for the loss of the presidency, al-Jaafari is proposing that they fill the post of parliament speaker, now occupied by a Sunni Arab.
Al-Jaafari's bid to topple al-Maliki runs counter to ongoing negotiations to form what is being billed an "alliance of the moderates" that would include the country's four largest Shiite and Kurdish parties and independent Shiites. It excludes hardline Shiites and Sunni Arabs. It also comes at a time when al-Maliki is facing a threat by the largest Sunni Arab bloc to pull its ministers from his coalition unless he meets a long list of demands, which include overtures to minority Sunni Arabs, political inclusion and commitment to human rights.
Labels: al Sadr, Article 140, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Dawa party, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Kirkuk, Kurdish Coalition, Nouri Al-Maliki
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sistani aide stabbed to death in Najaf
Security, Religion
(AP) - The safety of Iraq's pre-eminent Shiite cleric is in question after one of his close aides was stabbed to death in the Muslim leader's compound in the holy city of Najaf, a place beset by unsolved murders and believed to be infiltrated by insurgents. Najaf's police chief, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Mayahi, said late Sunday that authorities had arrested the alleged killer - a security guard at the compound of the much-revered cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
An official at the Iranian-born cleric's office said the person arrested may have only played a supporting role in the weekend killing of Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi. His death came a little over a month after another al-Sistani aide was killed in a drive-by shooting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said al-Sistani's office will launch an independent investigation into the killing of al-Basrawi, a confidante of al-Sistani who was in his late 30s.
According to different police accounts, al-Basrawi was slain late Friday or early Saturday at his office, which is approximately 30 to 40 yards away from where al-Sistani works and lives. That a killer was able to reach the heart of the compound, kill al-Basrawi and escape undetected has raised serious concern among al-Sistani's aides. But the official said al-Sistani refuses to move to a safer residence.
Security at al-Sistani's compound has been stepped up, with more armed guards posted at the entrance, which lies off the city's storied Rasoul street close to the gold-domed shrine of Imam Ali, Shiism's most revered saint. Routine body searches of visitors were markedly more thorough Sunday, and identity documents were examined more carefully, witnesses said.
It was not immediately clear whether al-Basrawi's killing was part of internal Shiite disputes or the work of Sunni insurgents opposed to the vast influence enjoyed by al-Sistani over Iraqi Shiites and politics. The official at al-Sistani's office also said theft may have been a motive. Al-Basrawi ran an office that collected a Shiite religious tax known as "khoms," which is paid to al-Sistani and used to run his seminaries and charities.
Al-Sistani, who rarely leaves his compound and doesn't grant media interviews, has been the target of at least one assassination attempt since 2003. The cleric, who is in his 70s, commands the deep respect of Iraq's majority Shiites. A death other than one of natural causes could spark riots by millions of his followers and fuel more sectarian violence.
Najaf has been relatively safe compared to the violence in Baghdad or other cities in the volatile center and north of Iraq, but a series of unsolved murders in recent months have struck clerics, academics and security officials. None of the killings had an obvious motive or could be linked to tribal, personal or religious disputes.
Najaf's deputy provincial governor, Abdul-Hussein Abtan, recently announced the arrest of nine leaders of what he called terrorist groups in the city, suggesting the overwhelmingly Shiite city has been infiltrated by Sunni insurgents who have been targeting Shiite civilians with bombings.
An official at the Iranian-born cleric's office said the person arrested may have only played a supporting role in the weekend killing of Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi. His death came a little over a month after another al-Sistani aide was killed in a drive-by shooting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said al-Sistani's office will launch an independent investigation into the killing of al-Basrawi, a confidante of al-Sistani who was in his late 30s.
According to different police accounts, al-Basrawi was slain late Friday or early Saturday at his office, which is approximately 30 to 40 yards away from where al-Sistani works and lives. That a killer was able to reach the heart of the compound, kill al-Basrawi and escape undetected has raised serious concern among al-Sistani's aides. But the official said al-Sistani refuses to move to a safer residence.
Security at al-Sistani's compound has been stepped up, with more armed guards posted at the entrance, which lies off the city's storied Rasoul street close to the gold-domed shrine of Imam Ali, Shiism's most revered saint. Routine body searches of visitors were markedly more thorough Sunday, and identity documents were examined more carefully, witnesses said.
It was not immediately clear whether al-Basrawi's killing was part of internal Shiite disputes or the work of Sunni insurgents opposed to the vast influence enjoyed by al-Sistani over Iraqi Shiites and politics. The official at al-Sistani's office also said theft may have been a motive. Al-Basrawi ran an office that collected a Shiite religious tax known as "khoms," which is paid to al-Sistani and used to run his seminaries and charities.
Al-Sistani, who rarely leaves his compound and doesn't grant media interviews, has been the target of at least one assassination attempt since 2003. The cleric, who is in his 70s, commands the deep respect of Iraq's majority Shiites. A death other than one of natural causes could spark riots by millions of his followers and fuel more sectarian violence.
Najaf has been relatively safe compared to the violence in Baghdad or other cities in the volatile center and north of Iraq, but a series of unsolved murders in recent months have struck clerics, academics and security officials. None of the killings had an obvious motive or could be linked to tribal, personal or religious disputes.
Najaf's deputy provincial governor, Abdul-Hussein Abtan, recently announced the arrest of nine leaders of what he called terrorist groups in the city, suggesting the overwhelmingly Shiite city has been infiltrated by Sunni insurgents who have been targeting Shiite civilians with bombings.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Mayahi, khoms, Najaf, Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Sistani mediates settlement between al-Sadr and Maliki
Politics
(Azzaman) - The row between Moqtada al-Sadr and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has subsided, thanks to the country’s top Shiite Cleric Ali Sistanti. Sistani, who resides in the Shiite city of Najaf, has mediated a settlement between the Shiite rivals. Sadr, who commands one of the country’s most fearsome militias, had suspended the participation of his 30 deputies in parliamentary deliberations and withdrawn his six ministers from Maliki’s government.
Sadr apparently suspected that Maliki was behind the low-key military action by U.S. occupation troops against his militias, known as Mahdi Army. But the sides have mended their differences, albeit temporarily. The move signals that Sadr is willing to take part in the political process, a bid analysts see as a new tactic to thwart U.S. insistence that Maliki disarm his militias.
To appease the Kurds, Maliki’s allies, Sadr has even indicated a change of heart regarding paragraph 140 of the constitution under which the government is obliged to hold a referendum to determine the fate of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, a referendum the Kurds say they are certain to win. Kirkuk on Monday was scene of devastating car bombings in which hundreds of Iraqis were killed and injured.
Sadr’s signal that he would support holding of a referendum in Kirkuk is good news for Kurds who would like to add the city to their semi-independent enclave in northern Iraq. Many of the tens of thousands of Arabs moved to Kirkuk under former leader Saddam Hussein are Muslim Shiites and diehard supporters of Sadr.
If a referendum is held and these Arabs vote for the city to become part of the Kurdish territory, the Kurds would definitely end up with a comfortable majority in the controversial referendum scheduled late this year.
Opposition to Kurdish ambition to link Kirkuk and its prolific oil fields to their enclave in the north now comes from Sunni Arab tribes, mostly inhabiting the city outskirts as well as Iraqi Turkmen.
Sadr apparently suspected that Maliki was behind the low-key military action by U.S. occupation troops against his militias, known as Mahdi Army. But the sides have mended their differences, albeit temporarily. The move signals that Sadr is willing to take part in the political process, a bid analysts see as a new tactic to thwart U.S. insistence that Maliki disarm his militias.
To appease the Kurds, Maliki’s allies, Sadr has even indicated a change of heart regarding paragraph 140 of the constitution under which the government is obliged to hold a referendum to determine the fate of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, a referendum the Kurds say they are certain to win. Kirkuk on Monday was scene of devastating car bombings in which hundreds of Iraqis were killed and injured.
Sadr’s signal that he would support holding of a referendum in Kirkuk is good news for Kurds who would like to add the city to their semi-independent enclave in northern Iraq. Many of the tens of thousands of Arabs moved to Kirkuk under former leader Saddam Hussein are Muslim Shiites and diehard supporters of Sadr.
If a referendum is held and these Arabs vote for the city to become part of the Kurdish territory, the Kurds would definitely end up with a comfortable majority in the controversial referendum scheduled late this year.
Opposition to Kurdish ambition to link Kirkuk and its prolific oil fields to their enclave in the north now comes from Sunni Arab tribes, mostly inhabiting the city outskirts as well as Iraqi Turkmen.
Labels: Article 140, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Kirkuk, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Govt plans to employ three million
Politics
(Al-Sabaah) - The Government is working out an economic plan to employ three million unemployed to end the unemployment problem in the country. Vice President Dr. Adel Abdulmahdi informed Grand Ayatollah Mr. Ali Sistani about a new national front which includes four main political parties and efforts which aim to widen it, an MP close to the Prime Minister said that Mr. Maliki hopes to make a comprehensive reshuffle soon and he considers a suggestion to decrease the number of ministries to twenty.
Labels: Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, unemployment
Friday, June 22, 2007
Shake-up planned to strengthen Maliki's power base
Politics
(AP) - Iraq's politicians are trying to stitch together a new majority alliance in parliament that would leave Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in power and freeze out backers of a powerful Shiite cleric who is leading a political standoff, officials said Thursday. The apparent dealmaking comes amid increasing pressure from Washington for Iraqi lawmakers to end their impasses and move ahead with reforms - including a key law on sharing Iraq's oil wealth - considered essential to bring together the country's divided factions and ease the Sunni-Shiite bloodshed.
Iraq's political leadership has been locked in feuds for months with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The disputes have cast doubt on al-Maliki's ability to stay in office. In April, six cabinet ministers loyal to al-Sadr quit the government to protest his refusal to call for a timetable for American troops to leave. Then last week, al-Sadr's 30-member parliament bloc began a boycott after accusing the government of failing to protect an important Shiite shrine in Samarra that was hit again by suspected Sunni bombers linked to al-Qaida.
Lawmakers and aides familiar with the negotiations said the goal is to keep al-Maliki, a Shiite, and possibly reach out to moderate Sunni groups to form a new governing majority in the 275-seat parliament. They also said al-Maliki may try to broaden his circle of close advisers to include President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who holds a mostly ceremonial position, and his two vice presidents. The parliament members and aides spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
Al-Maliki's supporters would like to marginalize both al-Sadr's bloc and a small group of radical Sunnis - which were needed to form a workable majority coalition after elections in 2005. But such a new political alignment could inspire more sectarian violence. So far, the talks have included Iraq's two largest Shiite parties - al-Maliki's Dawa Party and the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq - and the two main Kurdish parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
The Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab group, has been approached to join the bloc, along with independent Shiite legislators. Shiites and Kurds, with the Islamic Party and independent Shiites, should manage a majority. Islamic Party lawmaker Salim Abdullah confirmed attempts to build a new "bloc of moderates," with U.S. approval. He declined to say whether the Islamic Party was approached to join.
Al-Maliki spoke this week of a "comprehensive" makeover in government, chipping away at the sectarian, power-sharing formula that has dictated power-sharing in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003. If formed, the new bloc would command a majority of at least 160 seats, enough to secure the adoption of draft laws on the distribution of Iraq's oil wealth, reinstating junior members of Saddam's Baath party to government jobs and the scheduling of local elections. Also at stake are constitutional amendments demanded by minority Sunni Arabs.
Washington has said its four-month-old security operation in Baghdad was partly an effort to give al-Maliki's government some room to move ahead with political reforms. The crackdown has not significantly eased sectarian violence in the capital, but al-Maliki still has come under sharp criticism for not pushing ahead with the U.S.-backed political changes.
Leaving the Sadrists out of the proposed political shakeup would further diminish parliament's Shiite bloc - the Fadhila party pulled out its 15 lawmakers in March - and could meet opposition from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country's top Shiite cleric who has been keen on Shiite unity at any price.
Iraq's political leadership has been locked in feuds for months with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The disputes have cast doubt on al-Maliki's ability to stay in office. In April, six cabinet ministers loyal to al-Sadr quit the government to protest his refusal to call for a timetable for American troops to leave. Then last week, al-Sadr's 30-member parliament bloc began a boycott after accusing the government of failing to protect an important Shiite shrine in Samarra that was hit again by suspected Sunni bombers linked to al-Qaida.
Lawmakers and aides familiar with the negotiations said the goal is to keep al-Maliki, a Shiite, and possibly reach out to moderate Sunni groups to form a new governing majority in the 275-seat parliament. They also said al-Maliki may try to broaden his circle of close advisers to include President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who holds a mostly ceremonial position, and his two vice presidents. The parliament members and aides spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
Al-Maliki's supporters would like to marginalize both al-Sadr's bloc and a small group of radical Sunnis - which were needed to form a workable majority coalition after elections in 2005. But such a new political alignment could inspire more sectarian violence. So far, the talks have included Iraq's two largest Shiite parties - al-Maliki's Dawa Party and the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq - and the two main Kurdish parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
The Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab group, has been approached to join the bloc, along with independent Shiite legislators. Shiites and Kurds, with the Islamic Party and independent Shiites, should manage a majority. Islamic Party lawmaker Salim Abdullah confirmed attempts to build a new "bloc of moderates," with U.S. approval. He declined to say whether the Islamic Party was approached to join.
Al-Maliki spoke this week of a "comprehensive" makeover in government, chipping away at the sectarian, power-sharing formula that has dictated power-sharing in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003. If formed, the new bloc would command a majority of at least 160 seats, enough to secure the adoption of draft laws on the distribution of Iraq's oil wealth, reinstating junior members of Saddam's Baath party to government jobs and the scheduling of local elections. Also at stake are constitutional amendments demanded by minority Sunni Arabs.
Washington has said its four-month-old security operation in Baghdad was partly an effort to give al-Maliki's government some room to move ahead with political reforms. The crackdown has not significantly eased sectarian violence in the capital, but al-Maliki still has come under sharp criticism for not pushing ahead with the U.S.-backed political changes.
Leaving the Sadrists out of the proposed political shakeup would further diminish parliament's Shiite bloc - the Fadhila party pulled out its 15 lawmakers in March - and could meet opposition from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country's top Shiite cleric who has been keen on Shiite unity at any price.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Dawa party, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki, SICI
Monday, June 11, 2007
Al-Sadr visits Sistani
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr visited, on Sunday night, top Shiite cleric ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in his office in Najaf and both discussed the latest security and political developments in Iraq, a source from Sistani's office said. "Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr visited, today at 9:30 pm, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and both leaders discussed the political and security situation in the country," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The source gave no further details. Sadr's visit to sistani today is the first since the young Shiite cleric Sadr resurfaced two weeks ago.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Najaf
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Sistani aide killed
Security
(Gulf News) - A local representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the reclusive spiritual leader of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, was gunned down outside his home, Sistani's office and police said on Wednesday. Raheem Al Hasnawi, who represented Sistani in the town of Al Mishkhab, 40 km north of the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf, was killed late on Tuesday, they said.
A spokesman for Sistani's office said three gunmen riding in a car shot Hasnawi outside his home in Al Mishkhab. "He was killed immediately," the spokesman said. An Iraqi security source said Hasnawi was shot in the head and chest. There was no immediate indication about who was responsible for the killing.
Sistani is the sponsor of the ruling United Alliance bloc to which Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki and other Shi'ite political leaders belong. He is acknowledged as the patron of a delicately structured Shi'ite political movement which also includes anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's political movement.
A spokesman for Sistani's office said three gunmen riding in a car shot Hasnawi outside his home in Al Mishkhab. "He was killed immediately," the spokesman said. An Iraqi security source said Hasnawi was shot in the head and chest. There was no immediate indication about who was responsible for the killing.
Sistani is the sponsor of the ruling United Alliance bloc to which Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki and other Shi'ite political leaders belong. He is acknowledged as the patron of a delicately structured Shi'ite political movement which also includes anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's political movement.
Labels: Al Mishkhab, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Raheem Al Hasnawi
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Vice President meets Sistani
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi arrived in Najaf on Wednesday morning and met with top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Abdul Mahdi is due to take part in a conference, organized by the Islamic University in Najaf, on the current electricity situation in the Shiite province of Najaf. Five Iraqi ministers will attend the conference, media spokesman for the Najaf province, Ahmed Daabeil said. Najaf is the first Shiite sacred city as it hosts the shrine of the Shiite first Imam Ali, cousin of Prophet of Muhammed. It is located about 160 km southwest of Baghdad.
Labels: Adel Abdul Mahdi, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, electricity, Najaf
Saturday, May 12, 2007
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
Thursday, May 10, 2007
National Security Minister meets with al-Sistani
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waili arrived on Wednesday morning in Najaf to meet top Shiite cleric in Iraq Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Al-Waili is also expected to visit the hospitals that hosted the wounded of yesterday's blast that occurred in Kufa city, 10 km east of Najaf. On Tuesday, Sixteen people were killed and 70 others wounded when an explosive vehicle ripped through the al-Shahrestani square in Kufa city. Al-Waili is expected to give a news conference after meeting Ayatollah al-Sistani.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Najaf, National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waili
