Monday, September 10, 2007
Kurdish Coalition deny contact with Baathists
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Two members of the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) denied on Sunday having any contacts with Baathists, adding some Kurdish politicians have met with members of the former ruling party in their personal capacity not as KC members. "There are no contacts between the KC and the Baathists and the information reported about that was not true," Friad Rawndozi, the official spokesman for the KC, the second largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 55 out of a total 275 seats, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Earlier on Sunday a prominent member of former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List (INL) said that the KC was making contacts with Baathists, noting Allawi "was not the only one making these contacts. Everyone is denying contacts with Baathists, but there are dialogues grouping together members of the Baath Party and more than one political bloc," Nejefi told VOI by telephone.
Rawndozi indicated that "Jalal Talabani has met armed factions that have links with the dissolved Baath Party but in his capacity as president of Iraq." On Saturday, Iyad Jamal al-Din, an INL member of parliament, said he mediated between U.S. officials and Baathists belonging to former Iraqi vice president Ezzat al-Dori to boost the political process. "They were several meetings that took place inside and outside Iraq," Jamal al-Din told VOI.
He said the meetings "were convened in Arab countries." He declined to name those Arab countries or say when those meetings were held. "The meetings or negotiations were not meant against the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. On the contrary, they were supporting it and would be of benefit to the country's political process," Jamal al-Din said.
He pointed out that the Baathists, or members of the former ruling Baath (Resurrection) Party, "objected the law on debaathification and the Americans spoke to them about means to push forward the political process."
Allawi had said he met secretly with representatives from the dissolved party's Ezzat al-Dori wing with the aim of arranging their return to Iraq and participation in the political process.
"The dialogue has taken place upon the request of the United States, which was represented by high-ranking officials in those meetings. The discussions focused on how to merge the Baath Party members into the political process," Allawi said in a televised interview by the all-news Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite channel.
Earlier on Sunday a prominent member of former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List (INL) said that the KC was making contacts with Baathists, noting Allawi "was not the only one making these contacts. Everyone is denying contacts with Baathists, but there are dialogues grouping together members of the Baath Party and more than one political bloc," Nejefi told VOI by telephone.
Rawndozi indicated that "Jalal Talabani has met armed factions that have links with the dissolved Baath Party but in his capacity as president of Iraq." On Saturday, Iyad Jamal al-Din, an INL member of parliament, said he mediated between U.S. officials and Baathists belonging to former Iraqi vice president Ezzat al-Dori to boost the political process. "They were several meetings that took place inside and outside Iraq," Jamal al-Din told VOI.
He said the meetings "were convened in Arab countries." He declined to name those Arab countries or say when those meetings were held. "The meetings or negotiations were not meant against the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. On the contrary, they were supporting it and would be of benefit to the country's political process," Jamal al-Din said.
He pointed out that the Baathists, or members of the former ruling Baath (Resurrection) Party, "objected the law on debaathification and the Americans spoke to them about means to push forward the political process."
Allawi had said he met secretly with representatives from the dissolved party's Ezzat al-Dori wing with the aim of arranging their return to Iraq and participation in the political process.
"The dialogue has taken place upon the request of the United States, which was represented by high-ranking officials in those meetings. The discussions focused on how to merge the Baath Party members into the political process," Allawi said in a televised interview by the all-news Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite channel.
Labels: Baathists, Ezzat al-Dori, Friad Rawndozi, Iraqi National List, Iyad Allawi, Iyad Jamal al-Din, Kurdistan Coalition
Monday, September 03, 2007
Draft law could ease restrictions on Baathists
Politics
(Reuters) - An Iraqi draft law has been submitted to parliament to ease curbs on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party joining the civil service and military, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday. The draft is one of the benchmarks set by the United States to foster reconciliation between warring majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Many Baath party members were Sunnis who now feel persecuted by Maliki's Shi'ite-led government. Maliki told a news conference the draft was discussed by a committee of political parties and said he felt the "parliament, which represents the political powers that participated in this discussion, will approve it". Lawmakers return to parliament on Tuesday after a month-long recess, but it was unclear when they would begin debating the draft debaathification law.
On Aug. 26, Iraq's top five Shi'ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders including Maliki agreed on the draft legislation. But the measure -- as it has for many months -- is likely to face opposition from within the ruling Shi'ite Alliance and the committee tasked with purging Baathists from the government. Iraqi officials have said the Aug. 26 deal on the draft law was a sign of progress ahead of reports to be presented to the U.S. Congress next week.
The U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify on Iraq's security and political situation on Sept. 10. Their assessments could prompt a shift in U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq policy amid calls from opposition Democrats and some senior Republicans for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq because of the lack of political progress. The Iraqi government has yet to present other key draft laws, including legislation that aims to equitably share Iraq's vast oil wealth among its different sects and ethnic groups.
Many Baath party members were Sunnis who now feel persecuted by Maliki's Shi'ite-led government. Maliki told a news conference the draft was discussed by a committee of political parties and said he felt the "parliament, which represents the political powers that participated in this discussion, will approve it". Lawmakers return to parliament on Tuesday after a month-long recess, but it was unclear when they would begin debating the draft debaathification law.
On Aug. 26, Iraq's top five Shi'ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders including Maliki agreed on the draft legislation. But the measure -- as it has for many months -- is likely to face opposition from within the ruling Shi'ite Alliance and the committee tasked with purging Baathists from the government. Iraqi officials have said the Aug. 26 deal on the draft law was a sign of progress ahead of reports to be presented to the U.S. Congress next week.
The U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify on Iraq's security and political situation on Sept. 10. Their assessments could prompt a shift in U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq policy amid calls from opposition Democrats and some senior Republicans for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq because of the lack of political progress. The Iraqi government has yet to present other key draft laws, including legislation that aims to equitably share Iraq's vast oil wealth among its different sects and ethnic groups.
Labels: Baathists, Iraqi parliament
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
International meeting on Iraq's security in Syria
Regional
(Reuters) -- Syria will host an international security meeting on Iraq on Wednesday although the United States doubts Damascus is willing to play a role in stopping violence in its eastern neighbour. The two-day meeting will be held in a government complex on the outskirts of Damascus. Officials from Iraq, the United States, Britain, Iran, Turkey and Jordan will attend, a Syrian official said.
'Washington is making a gesture towards Syria by attending the meeting in Damascus,' a Syrian official told Reuters. U.S. officials held security talks in Baghdad this week with Syria's ally Iran. After a visit to Damascus last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria said explicitly for the first time it supports the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
One delegate said the meeting would focus on ways to control the 360-km (225 mile) border between Syria and Iraq and dismantling alleged Iraqi Baathist networks in Syria. 'With all the talk of Syria as a transit route for rebels, it makes sense to hold the meeting here. This is a chance for Damascus to show it can cooperate and talk with U.S. officials. The two sides rarely meet,' the delegate said.
'A mechanism should also emerge for the Iraqis and Syrians to cooperate regularly on controlling the border,' he said. Washington says Syria is allowing fighters and weapons into Iraq. Damascus denies this and says ending instability in Iraq and achieving an 'honourable withdrawal' for U.S. forces is in its national interest.
A diplomat in the Syrian capital said Damascus had kept its policy on Iraq vague in the absence of a U.S. promise to give Syria something in return for its cooperation, such as an easing of American sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2004, or pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights. 'So far Syria has been playing both hands. It puts out the right statements but does not move substantially on the ground,' the diplomat said.
Syria fiercely opposed the American-led invasion of 2003 that removed Saddam Hussein from power and brought sectarian tensions to the surface. It has since hosted an estimated 1.4 million Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq. It also hosts a large number of former operatives from Saddam's security forces whom the U.S.-backed Iraqi government accuses of having links with the rebels.
The Damascus meeting is a follow-up to a conference in Egypt in May in which senior U.S. and Syrian officials met each other for the first time in two years. Another follow-up meeting in Amman dealt with the refugee problem.
Although the Damascus meeting will focus on Iraq's security concerns, Turkey is expected to raise the issue of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel separatists who use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks on dealing with the PKK.
'Washington is making a gesture towards Syria by attending the meeting in Damascus,' a Syrian official told Reuters. U.S. officials held security talks in Baghdad this week with Syria's ally Iran. After a visit to Damascus last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria said explicitly for the first time it supports the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
One delegate said the meeting would focus on ways to control the 360-km (225 mile) border between Syria and Iraq and dismantling alleged Iraqi Baathist networks in Syria. 'With all the talk of Syria as a transit route for rebels, it makes sense to hold the meeting here. This is a chance for Damascus to show it can cooperate and talk with U.S. officials. The two sides rarely meet,' the delegate said.
'A mechanism should also emerge for the Iraqis and Syrians to cooperate regularly on controlling the border,' he said. Washington says Syria is allowing fighters and weapons into Iraq. Damascus denies this and says ending instability in Iraq and achieving an 'honourable withdrawal' for U.S. forces is in its national interest.
A diplomat in the Syrian capital said Damascus had kept its policy on Iraq vague in the absence of a U.S. promise to give Syria something in return for its cooperation, such as an easing of American sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2004, or pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights. 'So far Syria has been playing both hands. It puts out the right statements but does not move substantially on the ground,' the diplomat said.
Syria fiercely opposed the American-led invasion of 2003 that removed Saddam Hussein from power and brought sectarian tensions to the surface. It has since hosted an estimated 1.4 million Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq. It also hosts a large number of former operatives from Saddam's security forces whom the U.S.-backed Iraqi government accuses of having links with the rebels.
The Damascus meeting is a follow-up to a conference in Egypt in May in which senior U.S. and Syrian officials met each other for the first time in two years. Another follow-up meeting in Amman dealt with the refugee problem.
Although the Damascus meeting will focus on Iraq's security concerns, Turkey is expected to raise the issue of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel separatists who use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks on dealing with the PKK.
Labels: Baathists, border security, Britian, Golan Heights, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, PKK, security meeting, Syria, Turkey, U.S.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Tragetting of Baath party members leads to further displacements
Security, Politics
(IRIN) - Militants in southern areas of Iraq are reportedly targeting former members of the Baath Party in a bid to exterminate them, causing new displacements, according to local non-governmental organisations (NGOs). At least 200 ex-members of the Baath Party of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein have been killed so far.
According to local police, hundreds of families have been forced to flee their homes. “Militias are conducting a campaign to exterminate over 4,000 members of the Baath Party,” said Hassan Dureid, spokesperson for Iraqi Brothers Relief, a local NGO working in southern Iraq. “Most of these people didn’t have a choice and were obliged to join the party during the ex-regime.” “Dozens of new widows of ex-members of the Baath Party have reported [the deaths of their husbands] in the past three weeks to southern governorates, and their numbers could increase, according to experts,” Dureid added.
We want to prevent Saddam’s followers from returning to power and the best way is to exterminate them. Militants affiliated with Shia groups refused to give detailed information about the campaign but said their action was to guarantee the “cleansing of any remnants of Saddam Hussein’s regime”. “We want to prevent Saddam’s followers from returning to power and the best way is to exterminate them,” Abu Khalid Alawi, who said he was a senior local Shia militia member but declined to name his organisation, told IRIN.
We want to prevent Saddam’s followers from returning to power and the best way is to exterminate them. Militants affiliated with Shia groups refused to give detailed information about the campaign but said their action was to guarantee the “cleansing of any remnants of Saddam Hussein’s regime”. “We want to prevent Saddam’s followers from returning to power and the best way is to exterminate them,” Abu Khalid Alawi, who said he was a senior local Shia militia member but declined to name his organisation, told IRIN.
“Only Shia families in the southern governorates really know what we suffered in their hands and we don’t want to risk having them back,” he added. The Iraqi Brothers Relief said they were worried about the number of newly displaced families which have been seeking protection in displacement camps in southern areas, mostly on the outskirts of the cities of Najaf, Missan and Basra.
“We have received information from our volunteers that at least 2,000 Iraqis, mostly women and children, have joined displacement camps in the south over the past three weeks,” Farid Abbas, a spokesman for Najaf-based NGO the Muslim Organisation for Peace (MOP), said. “These families are without their husbands or fathers because either they have been killed or were forced to flee to the northern governorates for being ex-Baath Party members,” Abbas said.
Change of policy Current government policy, supported by the US, is to reinstate some former Baath party members in government posts to bolster the government’s effectiveness. This is believed to be one of the reasons for the current campaign by Shia militants in the south. “In 2003, the temporary Iraqi government set up by Paul Bremer started firing all Baath Party members from government posts,” Professor Abdel-Qader Azize, a displacement analyst at Baghdad University, said. “The problem is that most of these people didn’t have a choice and were forced by Saddam’s regime to follow orders or would have been killed.” “This move failed and the US government is now forcing the Iraqi parliament to reverse the law and accept ex-Baath Party members back into government jobs,” Azize said, adding that this was causing local resentment.
The Iraqi government couldn’t be reached for comment but the governing council of Basra said they had started negotiations with militant leaders to get them to stop such attacks.
The Iraqi government couldn’t be reached for comment but the governing council of Basra said they had started negotiations with militant leaders to get them to stop such attacks.
Labels: Baathists, Basra, IDPs, Iraqi Brothers Relief, Maysan, Muslim Organisation for Peace, Najaf, Shia militias
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Campaign to liquidate 3,000 Baathists in southern Iraq
Security, Politics, Employment
(Azzaman) - Militias belonging to Shiite religious factions in southern Iraq have embarked on a murderous campaign to liquidate 3,000 members of the Baath party of former leader Saddam Hussein. The campaign is reported to have terrorized residential quarters in several cities in the south since scores of former Baathists have been killed recently in the area.
Informed sources refusing to be named said the militias have 3,000 more names on their ‘liquidation lists’ and many former Baathists are reported to have gone into hiding. The so-called policy of debaathification, started by the first U.S. Iraq consul Paul Bremer, is believed to be one of the reasons behind current violence and instability in the country.
Former Baathists were banned from assuming posts in the government or employment in the public sector. Many had their property and belongings expropriated. As a result hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs and means of living, fueling resentment and anger at U.S. occupation troops and the government.
Analysts say the militias are keen to liquidate as many former Baathists as possible before the parliament, under pressure from the U.S., reverses measures that have led to their dismissal from government jobs.
Informed sources refusing to be named said the militias have 3,000 more names on their ‘liquidation lists’ and many former Baathists are reported to have gone into hiding. The so-called policy of debaathification, started by the first U.S. Iraq consul Paul Bremer, is believed to be one of the reasons behind current violence and instability in the country.
Former Baathists were banned from assuming posts in the government or employment in the public sector. Many had their property and belongings expropriated. As a result hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs and means of living, fueling resentment and anger at U.S. occupation troops and the government.
Analysts say the militias are keen to liquidate as many former Baathists as possible before the parliament, under pressure from the U.S., reverses measures that have led to their dismissal from government jobs.
Labels: Baathists, Shia militias, southern Iraq
Friday, June 22, 2007
Al-Maliki orders the arrest of tribal leaders
Security, Tribal
(Al Hayat) - "Al-Hayat" reported on June 20 that according to informed security sources, Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki has ordered the arrest of several tribal leaders and former Ba'athist officers in the Iraqi military who were based in the Dhi Qar Governorate for allegedly conspiring with the intelligence service of an Arab country.
One of the sources said that the men were arrested "because of their proven relationship with the intelligence service of an Arab country and for securing moral, material, and logistical support for armed groups that are active in southern Iraq."
None of the sources named the Arab country in question, but several indicated that al-Maliki has sent a "special force" to detain the men and return them to Baghdad for questioning. The alleged leader of the group was "a warrant officer in the former [Iraqi] army" who "was in contact with former Ba'athist leaders in the south and armed groups that are active there."
COMMENT: A few weeks ago, al-Maliki made a statement saying that anyone caught conspiring with other Arab countries against Iraq would be dealt with harshly. He added that he already knew of some suspects. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Baathists, Dhi Qar, tribal leaders
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Religious Authority Upset Because Americans Are Arming Baathist Tribes
Security, Politics
(Al Bayyna Newspaper) - 19 JUN - A number of Iraqi clerics and politicians have criticized the weak security procedures in Samarra before the disaster which occurred last Wednesday. They are also critical of the new American strategy to arm tribes which are mostly Baathist. In a press statement, politicians and clerics confirmed, “There is something wrong in the government’s monitoring of many different issues, especially “procedures” of the American Army in a number of provinces which includes arming some Sunni tribes that have a Baathist history while Americans are calling to destroy the militias.”
Political observers have said, “Blowing up the Samarra shrines is a terrorist crime and it is simultaneous with critical reports from European sources in Brussels who state that Saudi Arabia has succeeded in convincing the American administration to initiate a project for the Sunni Baathists to rule Iraq. The European sources described this critical political / military project as a dual project to arm the Sunni Baathist militias with weapons and ammunition in order to prepare them to take control of cities and neighborhoods one at a time. This will occur while the US forces and the MNF attack the “Shiite volunteer committees” [militias] in order to allow the minority to rule Iraq, or at least to help Baathists occupy all of Baghdad and remove the Shiites from Baghdad.
Labels: Baathists, Samarra, tribes
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Reconciliation Committee Member Reveals There Are Negotiations Between Baathists Close To Al Douri And The Government
Politics
(Al Mowaten Newspaper) - 4 JUN - A Supreme Reconciliation Committee member, Saad Yousif, has revealed that some Baathist members close to Izzat Al Douri have begun negotiations with the government. These Baathists include one who is wanted. Yousif added that if these negotiations are successful, the government will allow these Baathists to participate in the political process, including in elections.
The “Assoo” Kurdish newspaper reported that the negotiations are between the PM and the Baathist group led by Al Douri in order to achieve reconciliation between the government and this group. Assoo added, based on sources close to Al Maliki, that Al Maliki established a supreme committee to run these negotiations. The Baathists are represented in the negotiations by former Iraqi Air Force Captain, Abid Mohammed Falah. The sources added that these negotiations are under Al Maliki’s personal supervision and are attended by the MOI and MOD Ministers in the Green Zone.
Labels: Abid Mohammed Falah, Baathists, government, Izzat Al Douri, negotiations, Reconciliation Committee
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Mahdi Army Commander Killed In Basrah, al-Sadr pledges to protect Sunnis, Christians
Politics, Security
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper AR.) - 26 MAY - IP sources announced that the Mahdi Army leader in Basrah has been killed by a joint Iraqi-British operation in northern Basrah. British Army spokesman, Major David Gale, told the French Press Agency, “A special Iraqi unit supported by 100 British soldiers, killed the Basrah Mahdi Army leader.” A Mahdi Army source in Najaf said, “The British forces raided the Hayaniya area in northern Basrah and surrounded the vehicle of Usama Abu Qadr, the Basrah Mahdi Army leader, and killed him. They also wounded the four people with him.” The source also confirmed that Abu Qadr is one of the Mahdi Army’s founders in Basrah. Muqtada Al Sadr had decided to dismiss him because of the clashes that took place between Mahdi Army and Fadhila Party. An IP source said that two other people were killed with Abu Qadr during the clashes with the British. Eyewitnesses said that Mahdi Army members deployed throughout Basrah’s streets after Abu Qadr’s death.
COMMENT: This is likely to exacerbate the factional violence and attacks on the coalition in Basrah. COMMENT ENDS.
On Friday in Kufa the same newspaper reports that al-Sadr Al Sadr told his supporters, “I again demand that the occupiers must leave or must schedule their withdrawal. I demand that the Iraqi government not extend the occupation’s presence for even one day because the government is not authorized, especially after the collection of many Parliament members’ signatures and the one million man demonstration that both called for the occupation’s withdrawal.”
He added, “I hear from time to time that there are clashes between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi IPs and IA members (…) according to my point of view the one behind these clashes is the occupier to have an excuse for its presence. I am telling you not to be the instigator of this fighting and I am telling you fighting between the brothers in the Mahdi Army with IPs and IA members is forbidden and I advise the dear brothers in the Mahdi Army to use peaceful means if they are attacked by those with weak spirits by having peaceful protests and demonstrations.”
On the other side, Al Sadr stated, “I have received many complaints from Sunni brothers and some Christians of what has been done to them by (Sunni extremists). Therefore, I would say I am completely ready to defend them and I will be their shield to protect them although the occupier will not accept that. Our houses and our cities are ready to host them. Shedding Sunni and Iraqi Christian blood is forbidden and we are ready to defend them. What has been committed by the Sunni extremists to force Christians to convert is unacceptable.”
He also rejected the return of Baathists when he said, “The Iraqi government is working with some forces for the return of the Baathists (…) We will not allow Baathists to return and I will prevent that.” The US general in charge of their operations in Baghdad told the Washington Post, “Al Sadr has remained calm since his return from Iran.” Deputy US Commander in Iraq, General Odierno said, “It is not clear what Al Sadr has planned.” But he believes that Al Sadr is ready to conduct negotiations with the US and its Iraqi allies.
On the other side, Al Sadr stated, “I have received many complaints from Sunni brothers and some Christians of what has been done to them by (Sunni extremists). Therefore, I would say I am completely ready to defend them and I will be their shield to protect them although the occupier will not accept that. Our houses and our cities are ready to host them. Shedding Sunni and Iraqi Christian blood is forbidden and we are ready to defend them. What has been committed by the Sunni extremists to force Christians to convert is unacceptable.”
He also rejected the return of Baathists when he said, “The Iraqi government is working with some forces for the return of the Baathists (…) We will not allow Baathists to return and I will prevent that.” The US general in charge of their operations in Baghdad told the Washington Post, “Al Sadr has remained calm since his return from Iran.” Deputy US Commander in Iraq, General Odierno said, “It is not clear what Al Sadr has planned.” But he believes that Al Sadr is ready to conduct negotiations with the US and its Iraqi allies.
Labels: Baathists, Basrah, Christians, Hayaniyah district, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sunnis, Usama Abu Qadr
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Parliamentary committee fails to finalise agreement on amendment of constitution
Government
(Reuters) - An Iraqi parliamentary committee has failed to finalise an agreement on amending key articles in the constitution, one of the political benchmarks Washington says are important to end sectarian violence. After six months of talks, the constitutional reform committee had been expected to present parliament with a final draft of their recommendations on Tuesday.
Committee members said they would ask political leaders to deal with sensitive issues such as sharing Iraq's oil wealth more equitably and ending a ban on former members of Saddam Hussein's party members holding public office. "We have agreed on some articles but there are sensitive issues which need an agreement among the political leaders," said Saleem al-Jubouri, a member of the Accordance Front, the biggest Sunni political bloc in parliament.
The changes are aimed at bringing Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency, more firmly into the political process. U.S. President George W. Bush, under pressure to show tangible progress in the four-year-old war, has pushed Iraqi leaders to agree power-sharing legislation. Jubouri said Sunni Arab and Shi'ite members of the committee disagreed with a Kurdish demand to allow regions to distribute oil income rather than the central government.
Some lawmakers from the ruling Shi'ite community, which was oppressed during Saddam's rule, are virulently opposed to former Baathists taking up government jobs. Non-Arab Kurds, also persecuted under Saddam's pan-Arab policies, resist wording on the Arab identity of Iraq. Sunni Arabs fear federalism will allow Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south, where Iraq's oil reserves lie, to break away into their own states. Sunni Arabs live mostly in central and western Iraq, which is poor in oil.
Jubouri said that one area of disagreement was the status of the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk which sits atop one of the world's richest oilfields. The current constitution says Iraq should hold a referendum on the final status of Kirkuk this year. While Kurds claim Kirkuk as part of Kurdistan, Arabs oppose this. Another official in the committee said Arab members -- Shi'ites and Sunnis -- proposed making Kirkuk a separate region and dropping the idea of the referendum, which Kurds would anyway be likely to win.
Committee members said they would ask political leaders to deal with sensitive issues such as sharing Iraq's oil wealth more equitably and ending a ban on former members of Saddam Hussein's party members holding public office. "We have agreed on some articles but there are sensitive issues which need an agreement among the political leaders," said Saleem al-Jubouri, a member of the Accordance Front, the biggest Sunni political bloc in parliament.
The changes are aimed at bringing Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency, more firmly into the political process. U.S. President George W. Bush, under pressure to show tangible progress in the four-year-old war, has pushed Iraqi leaders to agree power-sharing legislation. Jubouri said Sunni Arab and Shi'ite members of the committee disagreed with a Kurdish demand to allow regions to distribute oil income rather than the central government.
Some lawmakers from the ruling Shi'ite community, which was oppressed during Saddam's rule, are virulently opposed to former Baathists taking up government jobs. Non-Arab Kurds, also persecuted under Saddam's pan-Arab policies, resist wording on the Arab identity of Iraq. Sunni Arabs fear federalism will allow Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south, where Iraq's oil reserves lie, to break away into their own states. Sunni Arabs live mostly in central and western Iraq, which is poor in oil.
Jubouri said that one area of disagreement was the status of the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk which sits atop one of the world's richest oilfields. The current constitution says Iraq should hold a referendum on the final status of Kirkuk this year. While Kurds claim Kirkuk as part of Kurdistan, Arabs oppose this. Another official in the committee said Arab members -- Shi'ites and Sunnis -- proposed making Kirkuk a separate region and dropping the idea of the referendum, which Kurds would anyway be likely to win.
Labels: Article 140, Baathists, constitutional reform committee, federalism, Iraqi constitution, Kirkuk, oil
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.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Constitutional reform committee agrees to pass draft to parliament on Tuesday
Constitution
(Reuters) - An Iraqi committee agreed on Tuesday to send to parliament a plan to reform the constitution, an important step towards implementing national reconciliation laws that Washington says are critical to ending violence.
Once-dominant Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency, have long demanded changes to a constitution they say concedes too much power to majority Shi'ites and ethnic Kurds, who were persecuted under Saddam Hussein. Such laws, which include sharing Iraq's vast oil wealth and ending a ban on former members of Saddam's party from public office, are particularly aimed at assuaging Sunnis Arabs and bringing them firmly into the U.S.-backed political process.
Saleem al-Jubouri, from the Sunni Accordance Front, said the constitutional reform committee had agreed to pass its draft to parliament next Tuesday -- albeit with some passages unresolved. He said this would allow it technically to meet a May 15 deadline set by the constitution. "There is a preliminary report that has been approved by committee members," he told Reuters. "Members now have to consult their political parties on the proposals."
But he said some thorny issues had been left open, for parliament to resolve. These included a Shi'ite-backed law that allows provinces to form federal regions, and wording on the Arab identity of Iraq, opposed by Kurds. In another sign of political progress, Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said the presidential council would soon send to parliament a draft proposal to allow thousands of ex-Baath party members to return to public jobs, another Sunni demand. The council comprises Hashemi, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Shi'ite Vice President Adel Abdul al-Mahdi.
The bills are likely to face fierce debate in parliament. Some lawmakers from the ruling Shi'ite community, who were oppressed during Saddam's rule, have expressed virulent opposition to seeing former Baathists take up government jobs. Non-Arab Kurds, also persecuted under Saddam's pan-Arab policies, resist wording on the Arab identity of Iraq.
Sunni Arabs, meanwhile, fear federalism will allow Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south, where Iraq's oil reserves lie, to break away into their own states. Sunni Arabs live mostly in central and western Iraq, which is poor in oil.
Once-dominant Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency, have long demanded changes to a constitution they say concedes too much power to majority Shi'ites and ethnic Kurds, who were persecuted under Saddam Hussein. Such laws, which include sharing Iraq's vast oil wealth and ending a ban on former members of Saddam's party from public office, are particularly aimed at assuaging Sunnis Arabs and bringing them firmly into the U.S.-backed political process.
Saleem al-Jubouri, from the Sunni Accordance Front, said the constitutional reform committee had agreed to pass its draft to parliament next Tuesday -- albeit with some passages unresolved. He said this would allow it technically to meet a May 15 deadline set by the constitution. "There is a preliminary report that has been approved by committee members," he told Reuters. "Members now have to consult their political parties on the proposals."
But he said some thorny issues had been left open, for parliament to resolve. These included a Shi'ite-backed law that allows provinces to form federal regions, and wording on the Arab identity of Iraq, opposed by Kurds. In another sign of political progress, Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said the presidential council would soon send to parliament a draft proposal to allow thousands of ex-Baath party members to return to public jobs, another Sunni demand. The council comprises Hashemi, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Shi'ite Vice President Adel Abdul al-Mahdi.
The bills are likely to face fierce debate in parliament. Some lawmakers from the ruling Shi'ite community, who were oppressed during Saddam's rule, have expressed virulent opposition to seeing former Baathists take up government jobs. Non-Arab Kurds, also persecuted under Saddam's pan-Arab policies, resist wording on the Arab identity of Iraq.
Sunni Arabs, meanwhile, fear federalism will allow Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south, where Iraq's oil reserves lie, to break away into their own states. Sunni Arabs live mostly in central and western Iraq, which is poor in oil.
Labels: Baathists, constitutional reform committee, Iraqi constitution, Saleem al-Jubouri, Tariq al-Hashemi
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Al-Askari - Kurds agree to postpone referendum on Kirkuk
Politics
(Azzaman) - The government has hinted at ongoing talks with armed groups fighting U.S. occupation troops. An adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he saw such meetings as important. Sami al-Askari did not deny that Maliki had himself taken part in the meetings but said, “In principle we will be please in case such meetings have taken place.”
Askari also confirmed that progress was made in efforts to revise a law that made it impossible for former members of the Baath party to assume government jobs. With regard to constitutional amendments, he said Iraqi deputies and personalities charged with the task have also reported ‘good progress.’
But more important for the government has been, according to Askari, Kurds’ consent to postpone a referendum on the future of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The ethnically mixed city, where some of Iraq’s largest oil fields are situated, is contested by Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. Its destiny was to be decided by the end of this year but the United Nations charged of organizing the referendum says security conditions would discourage the stationing of independent monitors there.
Askari also confirmed that progress was made in efforts to revise a law that made it impossible for former members of the Baath party to assume government jobs. With regard to constitutional amendments, he said Iraqi deputies and personalities charged with the task have also reported ‘good progress.’
But more important for the government has been, according to Askari, Kurds’ consent to postpone a referendum on the future of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The ethnically mixed city, where some of Iraq’s largest oil fields are situated, is contested by Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. Its destiny was to be decided by the end of this year but the United Nations charged of organizing the referendum says security conditions would discourage the stationing of independent monitors there.
Labels: armed groups, Baathists, Kirkuk referendum, meetings, Sami al-Askari
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Sunni armed groups flee from Anbar to Mosul
Insurgency
(Kurdish Globe) - As tribal leaders and Sheiks in Anbar Province declare war on Al-Qaeda and other Iraqi Sunni armed groups battle them, Al-Qaeda is heading to Mosul Province, as witnessed by the increasing level of violence in the northern Iraq region. A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) headquarters in Mosul city stated that insurgents distributed threatening leaflets there on Saturday, May 5, stating that they will launch attacks on Kurdish political party offices in the city.
"They (insurgents) said they will attack the offices belonging to Kurdish political parties, assassinate Kurdish officials, and launch suicide attacks on Kurdish checkpoints in the city," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject. Massoud Barzani, the President of Kurdistan Region, leads the KDP. According to the source, the same day the threatening leaflets were distributed an unknown gunmen killed a Kurdish citizen in the Arbaji neighborhood in Mosul, and the body of a Kurdish citizen was found after unknown gunmen in Shangal district kidnapped him.
Ali Karim, a Kurd, who fled from Mosul city three months ago due to attacks and threats against Kurdish people in the city, accuses former members of Baath Party and Arabs from other countries of attacking Kurds in the city. "Former Members of Baath Party and Arabs from other countries are responsible for most of the majority horrific attacks; they don't have any faith for the city and Iraq," said Karim in an angry tone.
Last month, on April 26, double suicide car bombs and an insurgent wearing a suicide belt attacked two KDP offices in the Zumar area, 50 km northwest of Mosul city, killing 3 and wounding 13 Peshmergas (Kurdish fighters).
An official at the Joint Coordination Office in Mosul Province stated that, during the last week, a suicide car bomb exploded, 64 unidentified bodies were found, 29 roadside bombs exploded, 23 mortar shells reigned mostly on security centers in the city, and 23 clashes erupted between Iraqi forces and unknown gunmen. The source did not mention the number of statistical dead and wounded and assassination operations by acts of violence in the city during the current week and last week.
Additionally in April, said the source, 241 unidentified bodies were found in Mosul Province, 137 roadside bomb exploded, 123 armed accidents occurred, 93 clashes erupted between Iraqi forces and armed groups, 14 car bombs exploded, and 9 kidnapping cases were reported.
Brigadier Salim al Hajj, head of Mosul City Council, said that the level of violence in Mosul Province has risen because tribal leaders in Anbar Province have declared war against terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaeda, causing most of the terrorists to flee Anbar Province and head to Mosul Province. Insurgents accuse the Kurds, particularly Kurdish political parties and Peshmerga forces, of being American allies.
"They (insurgents) said they will attack the offices belonging to Kurdish political parties, assassinate Kurdish officials, and launch suicide attacks on Kurdish checkpoints in the city," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject. Massoud Barzani, the President of Kurdistan Region, leads the KDP. According to the source, the same day the threatening leaflets were distributed an unknown gunmen killed a Kurdish citizen in the Arbaji neighborhood in Mosul, and the body of a Kurdish citizen was found after unknown gunmen in Shangal district kidnapped him.
Ali Karim, a Kurd, who fled from Mosul city three months ago due to attacks and threats against Kurdish people in the city, accuses former members of Baath Party and Arabs from other countries of attacking Kurds in the city. "Former Members of Baath Party and Arabs from other countries are responsible for most of the majority horrific attacks; they don't have any faith for the city and Iraq," said Karim in an angry tone.
Last month, on April 26, double suicide car bombs and an insurgent wearing a suicide belt attacked two KDP offices in the Zumar area, 50 km northwest of Mosul city, killing 3 and wounding 13 Peshmergas (Kurdish fighters).
An official at the Joint Coordination Office in Mosul Province stated that, during the last week, a suicide car bomb exploded, 64 unidentified bodies were found, 29 roadside bombs exploded, 23 mortar shells reigned mostly on security centers in the city, and 23 clashes erupted between Iraqi forces and unknown gunmen. The source did not mention the number of statistical dead and wounded and assassination operations by acts of violence in the city during the current week and last week.
Additionally in April, said the source, 241 unidentified bodies were found in Mosul Province, 137 roadside bomb exploded, 123 armed accidents occurred, 93 clashes erupted between Iraqi forces and armed groups, 14 car bombs exploded, and 9 kidnapping cases were reported.
Brigadier Salim al Hajj, head of Mosul City Council, said that the level of violence in Mosul Province has risen because tribal leaders in Anbar Province have declared war against terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaeda, causing most of the terrorists to flee Anbar Province and head to Mosul Province. Insurgents accuse the Kurds, particularly Kurdish political parties and Peshmerga forces, of being American allies.
Labels: Al Anbar, Baathists, Brigadier Salim al Hajj, KDP, Mosul, Sunni militants
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The battle for Baqouba
Security
(New York Times) - American forces in Baquba are described as stretched thin. The Sunni guerrillas and extremists who now overshadow this city demonstrate a sophistication and lethality born of years of confronting American military tactics. While the “surge” plays out in Baghdad just 35 miles to the south, Baquba has emerged as a magnet for insurgents from around the country and, perhaps, the next major headache for the American military.
Some insurgents have moved into Baquba to escape the escalation in Baghdad. But the city has been attracting insurgents for years, particularly after American officials in Baghdad proclaimed it and surrounding Diyala Province relatively pacified over a year ago and drew down their troop presence. When 70 insurgents broke out of a Mosul jail in March, for example, escapees from Chad, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan were apprehended here, the Iraqi police said. And Sunni fighters continue to heed calls by insurgent leaders to converge here.
It is impossible to say how many insurgents are in Baquba now. Using a broad definition that comprises not just those who actively fight, but also those who place bombs and others paid by insurgents, some military officials put the number around 2,000. It is a nasty stew that includes former members of the Saddam Hussein army and paramilitary forces, the Fedayeen; angry and impoverished Sunni men; criminal gangs; Wahhabi Islamists; and foreigners.
As the insurgent ranks have swelled, attacks on American troops have soared. The 5,000-member brigade that patrols Diyala Province has had 44 soldiers killed in five months, more than twice the number who died in the preceding year. On the ground in Baquba, it is not hard to see why. Despite recent seizures of stockpiles, the insurgents have a ready supply of artillery shells and material to make bombs, the biggest killer of American troops here. The guerrillas seem increasingly well organized and trained.
Some insurgents have moved into Baquba to escape the escalation in Baghdad. But the city has been attracting insurgents for years, particularly after American officials in Baghdad proclaimed it and surrounding Diyala Province relatively pacified over a year ago and drew down their troop presence. When 70 insurgents broke out of a Mosul jail in March, for example, escapees from Chad, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan were apprehended here, the Iraqi police said. And Sunni fighters continue to heed calls by insurgent leaders to converge here.
It is impossible to say how many insurgents are in Baquba now. Using a broad definition that comprises not just those who actively fight, but also those who place bombs and others paid by insurgents, some military officials put the number around 2,000. It is a nasty stew that includes former members of the Saddam Hussein army and paramilitary forces, the Fedayeen; angry and impoverished Sunni men; criminal gangs; Wahhabi Islamists; and foreigners.
As the insurgent ranks have swelled, attacks on American troops have soared. The 5,000-member brigade that patrols Diyala Province has had 44 soldiers killed in five months, more than twice the number who died in the preceding year. On the ground in Baquba, it is not hard to see why. Despite recent seizures of stockpiles, the insurgents have a ready supply of artillery shells and material to make bombs, the biggest killer of American troops here. The guerrillas seem increasingly well organized and trained.
The tactics reflect the skill and resolve of the insurgency here, soldiers say. The Sunni groups seem to be cooperating like mob families, with ever-shifting alliances. They are capable of disciplined and sustained operations. Some are purely fanatical. There are many reasons for the mayhem. Diyala and Baquba had significant Shiite and Sunni populations. Shiite-dominated security forces in the city inflamed tensions by persecuting Sunnis, but remain ill prepared to fight the insurgents without support of American forces. Basic government services like food and fuel deliveries have collapsed.
Sunni extremists operate with an extraordinary ruthlessness that terrorizes residents into submission. And Baquba has always had a heavy population of former Baathists and Fedayeen, providing a sympathetic backdrop for the insurgency. Some fighters still wear black Fedayeen uniforms, American officers say.
Sunni extremists operate with an extraordinary ruthlessness that terrorizes residents into submission. And Baquba has always had a heavy population of former Baathists and Fedayeen, providing a sympathetic backdrop for the insurgency. Some fighters still wear black Fedayeen uniforms, American officers say.
The insurgency’s remarkable ability to terrorize residents, killing those who help Americans while coercing others, is undeniably one of its biggest weapons. It appears to be well financed, too. “Some guys will give you $300 to put this in a hole in the ground and attach a wire,” said John M. Jones, head of the provincial reconstruction team in Diyala, explaining how insurgents recruit bomb emplacers. “Where are the other incentives?”
With the combination of threats and money, Mr. Jones said, the insurgents’ offers are hard for residents to refuse. Such intimidation makes progress impossible. “We are not able to make even baby steps,” he said. “I hope we’re laying the framework for future baby steps. Right now, I’d say we are pretty much frustrated.”
With the combination of threats and money, Mr. Jones said, the insurgents’ offers are hard for residents to refuse. Such intimidation makes progress impossible. “We are not able to make even baby steps,” he said. “I hope we’re laying the framework for future baby steps. Right now, I’d say we are pretty much frustrated.”
Labels: Baathists, Baqouba, Diyala, fedayeen, Sunni guerillas, U.S. soldiers, Wahhabis, Zaganiyah
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Islamic Army in Iraq criticises Al Qaeda in Iraq
Insurgency
(Al Jazeera) - An influential Iraqi Sunni armed group has called on al-Qaeda in Iraq to "review" its behaviour in the country. The Islamic Army in Iraq, believed to be the largest group of former Baathists and army officers fighting Iraqi and US forces, called on Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, to take more responsibility for al-Qaeda in Iraq.
"Killing Sunnis has become a legitimate target for them, especially rich ones. Either they pay them what they want or they kill them," a statement from the group said. "They would kill any critic or whoever tries to show them their mistakes." The group said it had dealt with al-Qaeda with "patience and wisdom" to keep a united "resistance front. But this was not fruitful," the group said.
The growing tension highlights a struggle for power involving Sunni tribal leaders who are angered by al-Qaeda in Iraq's indiscriminate killing of civilians. Sunni Arab officials have also urged what they call "the real resistance" to disown al-Qaeda and engage in talks with the government to end violence which has driven the country closer to an all-out civil war.
"We also call ... on every Qaeda member in the Land of Mesopotamia to review themselves and their positions ... and for those who committed wrongful acts to repent quickly," the statement said. Also on Friday, Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, ordered that jobs and pensions be offered to former officers, many of whom had joined armed Sunni groups such as the Islamic Army of Iraq.
The Islamic Army in Iraq's appeal to al-Qaeda comes against a backdrop of continued violence in Sunni Arab areas. On Friday, at least 27 people were killed by a chlorine truck bomb in the city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
"Killing Sunnis has become a legitimate target for them, especially rich ones. Either they pay them what they want or they kill them," a statement from the group said. "They would kill any critic or whoever tries to show them their mistakes." The group said it had dealt with al-Qaeda with "patience and wisdom" to keep a united "resistance front. But this was not fruitful," the group said.
The growing tension highlights a struggle for power involving Sunni tribal leaders who are angered by al-Qaeda in Iraq's indiscriminate killing of civilians. Sunni Arab officials have also urged what they call "the real resistance" to disown al-Qaeda and engage in talks with the government to end violence which has driven the country closer to an all-out civil war.
"We also call ... on every Qaeda member in the Land of Mesopotamia to review themselves and their positions ... and for those who committed wrongful acts to repent quickly," the statement said. Also on Friday, Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, ordered that jobs and pensions be offered to former officers, many of whom had joined armed Sunni groups such as the Islamic Army of Iraq.
The Islamic Army in Iraq's appeal to al-Qaeda comes against a backdrop of continued violence in Sunni Arab areas. On Friday, at least 27 people were killed by a chlorine truck bomb in the city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad.
COMMENT: The Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) is an inclusive Islamic organisation with Iraqi nationalist tendencies. IAI has carried out a brutal campaign against the U.S.-led coalition as well as the Iraqi security forces. The group has been implicated in several kidnappings and beheadings.The group’s leader claims that the group is predominantly Iraqi, not foreign-born. Although it carries an Islamic title, the group is thought to be the largest militant group that consists of former Baathists and has been labelled as "resistance" by Iraq's Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi despite regular attacks against Iraqi soldiers and policemen and Shi'ite militias such as the Mahdi Army and Badr Corps.
Their criticism of Al Qaeda in Iraq coincides with al-Maliki announcing jobs and pensions for Baathists and former Iraqi armed forces. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Baathists, Islamic Army in Iraq, Sunni tribal leaders
Monday, April 02, 2007
Sistani opposes reinstation of Baathists
Politics
Iraq's top Shiite cleric opposes a draft law that would allow former members of Saddam Hussein's ruling Baath Party to resume government positions, the head of the committee dealing with the Baathists said Sunday. Ahmed Chalabi met with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani on Sunday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf to discuss the draft law that would allow thousands of former Baath Party members to regain their jobs or grant them pensions if they are denied jobs they once held in the government or military.
The proposal, long demanded by the U.S., is designed to appease Iraq's once-dominant Sunni Arab minority in a bid to blunt the country's insurgency and return members of the minority to the political process. The law would allow those in the feared security and paramilitary forces to resume government positions but would exclude former regime members already charged with or sought for crimes. Chalabi, who runs the Supreme National Commission for de-Baathification, later met three other senior Shiite clerics.
Along with ousting Baathists, Bremer dissolved Iraq's military and security organizations, putting tens of thousands of armed men out of work. Much of the Sunni insurgency that has proven so deadly to U.S. troops is believed to have coalesced around the dismissed military men. Many former Baathists have been reinstated, especially teachers and some military officers, after the U.S. found it had gutted key ministries and the military with no replacement personnel among the Iraqi work force and educated elite.
If al-Sistani and other top clerics in Najaf reject the draft law, it would be nearly impossible to push through parliament because many Shiites, who hold 130 seats in the 275-member assembly, abide by rulings for their spiritual leaders. Some Kurds, who like Shiites were severely oppressed by the Saddam regime, oppose the draft law as well. Shiites and Kurds make about 80 percent of Iraq's 26 million people.
President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, introduced the draft law late last month. It still has to be approved by Cabinet and before it is sent to Parliament. About 1.5 million of Iraq's 27 million people belonged to the Baath party. Most say they joined for professional, not ideological, reasons, because career advancement, university enrollment and specialized medical care depended on party membership during Saddam's rule.
The proposal, long demanded by the U.S., is designed to appease Iraq's once-dominant Sunni Arab minority in a bid to blunt the country's insurgency and return members of the minority to the political process. The law would allow those in the feared security and paramilitary forces to resume government positions but would exclude former regime members already charged with or sought for crimes. Chalabi, who runs the Supreme National Commission for de-Baathification, later met three other senior Shiite clerics.
Along with ousting Baathists, Bremer dissolved Iraq's military and security organizations, putting tens of thousands of armed men out of work. Much of the Sunni insurgency that has proven so deadly to U.S. troops is believed to have coalesced around the dismissed military men. Many former Baathists have been reinstated, especially teachers and some military officers, after the U.S. found it had gutted key ministries and the military with no replacement personnel among the Iraqi work force and educated elite.
If al-Sistani and other top clerics in Najaf reject the draft law, it would be nearly impossible to push through parliament because many Shiites, who hold 130 seats in the 275-member assembly, abide by rulings for their spiritual leaders. Some Kurds, who like Shiites were severely oppressed by the Saddam regime, oppose the draft law as well. Shiites and Kurds make about 80 percent of Iraq's 26 million people.
President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, introduced the draft law late last month. It still has to be approved by Cabinet and before it is sent to Parliament. About 1.5 million of Iraq's 27 million people belonged to the Baath party. Most say they joined for professional, not ideological, reasons, because career advancement, university enrollment and specialized medical care depended on party membership during Saddam's rule.
COMMENT: The Arab Socialist Baath Party was founded in 1947 as a radical, secular Arab nationalist political party. It functioned as a pan-Arab party with branches in different Arab countries (Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan), but was strongest in Syria and Iraq, coming to power in both countries in 1963. In 1966 the Syrian and Iraqi parties split into two rival organizations. Both Baath parties retained the same name, and maintain parallel structures in the Arab world.
The Baath Party came to power in Syria on 8 March 1963 and attained a monopoly of political power later that year. The Baathists ruled Iraq briefly in 1963, and then from July 1968 until 2003. After the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime in the course of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the occupying authorities banned the Iraqi Baath Party on May 16, 2003. The Iraqi party has since then been associated with armed resistance to US, UK and cooperating Iraqi government forces. COMMENT ENDS.
The Baath Party came to power in Syria on 8 March 1963 and attained a monopoly of political power later that year. The Baathists ruled Iraq briefly in 1963, and then from July 1968 until 2003. After the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime in the course of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the occupying authorities banned the Iraqi Baath Party on May 16, 2003. The Iraqi party has since then been associated with armed resistance to US, UK and cooperating Iraqi government forces. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Ahmed Chalabi, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Baathists, Supreme National Commission for de-Baathification
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Baathists to be re-instated
Politics, Security
(BBC) - The Iraqi government plans to bring in a new law to allow former members of ex-president Saddam Hussein's Baath party to return to official posts. The law creates a three-month period for the ex-members to be challenged, after which they will be immune from prosecution over the Saddam era. If ratified, it will replace the de-Baathification programme that was created to eject key party members.
The new legislation will be presented to parliament by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, a Shia, and President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd. In a joint statement, they said they wanted to build a democratic Iraq free from sectarianism, racism and discrimination. "This law will be a pillar in building national reconciliation and in starting the process of healing and rehabilitation," the statement read.
The legislation would exclude former Baath members charged with crimes or still sought for them. But it will grant state pensions to many former Baathist employees even if they are not given new posts. Outgoing US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the law would give ex-Baathists "the opportunity to return to their jobs, provided they were not at the highest levels of the former regime and have not been involved in criminal activity".
Much of the Sunni insurgency is thought to be centred on dismissed military men from the Baathist regime. The law must still pass parliament and has already drawn opposition. The Shia chairman of the current de-Baathification programme, Ali al-Lami, said the proposed law was "unconstitutional" and would "reinstate employees of Saddam's security agencies and paramilitary forces".
Analysts say the law may be a measure to head off opposition to the new Iraqi unity government from predominantly Sunni neighbours such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan. There is a key meeting of the Arab League on Wednesday and Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The new legislation will be presented to parliament by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, a Shia, and President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd. In a joint statement, they said they wanted to build a democratic Iraq free from sectarianism, racism and discrimination. "This law will be a pillar in building national reconciliation and in starting the process of healing and rehabilitation," the statement read.
The legislation would exclude former Baath members charged with crimes or still sought for them. But it will grant state pensions to many former Baathist employees even if they are not given new posts. Outgoing US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the law would give ex-Baathists "the opportunity to return to their jobs, provided they were not at the highest levels of the former regime and have not been involved in criminal activity".
Much of the Sunni insurgency is thought to be centred on dismissed military men from the Baathist regime. The law must still pass parliament and has already drawn opposition. The Shia chairman of the current de-Baathification programme, Ali al-Lami, said the proposed law was "unconstitutional" and would "reinstate employees of Saddam's security agencies and paramilitary forces".
Analysts say the law may be a measure to head off opposition to the new Iraqi unity government from predominantly Sunni neighbours such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan. There is a key meeting of the Arab League on Wednesday and Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Labels: Ali al-Lami, Baathists
Monday, March 26, 2007
Tikrit may turn into 'shrine' for all Baathists
Politics, Security
(Gulf News) Tikrit, the hometown of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussain and senior leaders of the Arab Baath Party, is expecting to receive the bodies of more Iraqi leaders who are on trial in the Anfal case, the city's deputy governor said. Tikrit was chosen to be a burial place for former Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was executed last week. According to high-level sources in the Iraqi government, all of the former leaders who are on trial in the Anfal case are being recommended for burial next to Saddam.
Hussain Al Assadi, a prominent figure in the Shiite Islamic Revolution Supreme Council, told Gulf News: "The government is committing a gross mistake by allowing Saddam and his colleagues to be buried together in neighbouring graves, it will soon turn into a shrine for all Baathists. It would be better to bury them in unknown and secret places."
Hussain Al Assadi, a prominent figure in the Shiite Islamic Revolution Supreme Council, told Gulf News: "The government is committing a gross mistake by allowing Saddam and his colleagues to be buried together in neighbouring graves, it will soon turn into a shrine for all Baathists. It would be better to bury them in unknown and secret places."
Labels: Baathists, Saddam Hussein, Tikrit
U.S., Iraqi officials in talks with Sunni insurgent groups
Security, Politics
(Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi officials are in contact with representatives of some Sunni Arab insurgent groups to build an alliance against al Qaeda in Iraq, the outgoing U.S. ambassador said on Monday. At his final news conference in Baghdad, he confirmed reports that U.S. embassy and military staff as well as Iraqi government officials had met representatives of insurgent-linked groups on several occasions.
"That process is continuing," he said. "One of the main challenges is how to separate more and more groups away from al Qaeda, how to turn them to cooperate with the Iraqi government against al Qaeda," he said. "That is the strategic objective."
Earlier The New York Times reported that Khalilzad himself had met Sunni insurgent groups, which include nationalists and former Saddam Hussein sympathizers, such as the Islamic Army in Iraq, a large group of former Baathists and ex-army officers once loyal to the former president, Saddam Hussein. Iraqi government officials are known to have had contact with insurgent groups in the past but these have never really amounted to much as the groups' main demand has been for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Khalilzad said their key concern had shifted toward how to fight al Qaeda during recent talks. He said he did not want to give too many details about who was involved in the talks given "al Qaeda's efforts to derail such efforts." Al Qaeda militants have launched of a string of attacks on a group of tribes in western Anbar province that have formed an alliance against the hardline Sunni Islamist group. U.S. commanders in Anbar have been promoting the tribal alliance against al Qaeda as crucial to ending the violence.
"We have had discussions with various groups," Khalilzad said. "They have taken place, they are continuing to take place. I did not say we've talked to terrorists, we've talked to groups who have not participated in the political process who have ties to some insurgents who are reconcilable."
"That process is continuing," he said. "One of the main challenges is how to separate more and more groups away from al Qaeda, how to turn them to cooperate with the Iraqi government against al Qaeda," he said. "That is the strategic objective."
Earlier The New York Times reported that Khalilzad himself had met Sunni insurgent groups, which include nationalists and former Saddam Hussein sympathizers, such as the Islamic Army in Iraq, a large group of former Baathists and ex-army officers once loyal to the former president, Saddam Hussein. Iraqi government officials are known to have had contact with insurgent groups in the past but these have never really amounted to much as the groups' main demand has been for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Khalilzad said their key concern had shifted toward how to fight al Qaeda during recent talks. He said he did not want to give too many details about who was involved in the talks given "al Qaeda's efforts to derail such efforts." Al Qaeda militants have launched of a string of attacks on a group of tribes in western Anbar province that have formed an alliance against the hardline Sunni Islamist group. U.S. commanders in Anbar have been promoting the tribal alliance against al Qaeda as crucial to ending the violence.
"We have had discussions with various groups," Khalilzad said. "They have taken place, they are continuing to take place. I did not say we've talked to terrorists, we've talked to groups who have not participated in the political process who have ties to some insurgents who are reconcilable."
Labels: Al Qaeda, Baathists, Fomer Regime Elements, insurgents, Islamic Army in Iraq
