Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sacked Sadrists reinstated
Politics
(Reuters) - The political bloc of anti- American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has reappointed two members as lawmakers after sacking them earlier this month for meeting U.S. officials, the movement said on Friday. The political committee of Sadr's movement said the sacking of Salam al-Maliki and Qusay Abdul Wahab was "unprompted and unintentional," adding their "innocence from the charges against them has been established."
"The previous measure concerning their ejection from the parliamentary Sadrist bloc is to be cancelled," the political committee said in a statement. Nassar al-Rubaie, head of the Sadrist bloc in parliament, confirmed the two had been reinstated as lawmakers for the movement. Maliki, a former transport minister, had previously denied he had been fired and also said he had not met any U.S. officials.
Sadr's movement holds a quarter of the parliamentary seats in the ruling Shi'ite Alliance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Sadr withdrew his six ministers from Maliki's government on Monday to protest the prime minister's refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq.
"The previous measure concerning their ejection from the parliamentary Sadrist bloc is to be cancelled," the political committee said in a statement. Nassar al-Rubaie, head of the Sadrist bloc in parliament, confirmed the two had been reinstated as lawmakers for the movement. Maliki, a former transport minister, had previously denied he had been fired and also said he had not met any U.S. officials.
Sadr's movement holds a quarter of the parliamentary seats in the ruling Shi'ite Alliance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Sadr withdrew his six ministers from Maliki's government on Monday to protest the prime minister's refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Labels: Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nassar al-Rubai, Qusay Abdul Wahab, Sadrists, transport minister Salam al-Maliki
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Al-Sadr aides fired for meeting with Americans
Politics
(Reuters) - Two lawmakers from the movement of anti-American Shi'ite Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were dismissed on Wednesday for meeting U.S. officials, an official in the movement said. Abdul Mahdi al-Mtiri, a member of the political committee which took the decision, told Reuters the committee fired former transport minister Salam al-Maliki and member of parliament Qusay Abdul Wahab who met American officials two days ago.
Mtiri said Sadr approved the sackings which were the first public signs of tensions in the movement which holds a quarter of the seats in parliament of the ruling Shi'ite Alliance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "We have fired them for meeting the occupiers. It is against our beliefs to meet the occupiers," he said. Sadr led two uprisings against the Americans in 2004 and has long demanded U.S. forces leave Iraq. But he has backed a seven-week-old security crackdown in Baghdad. U.S. forces have detained or killed hundreds of Sadr's followers in recent months.
Mtiri said Sadr approved the sackings which were the first public signs of tensions in the movement which holds a quarter of the seats in parliament of the ruling Shi'ite Alliance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "We have fired them for meeting the occupiers. It is against our beliefs to meet the occupiers," he said. Sadr led two uprisings against the Americans in 2004 and has long demanded U.S. forces leave Iraq. But he has backed a seven-week-old security crackdown in Baghdad. U.S. forces have detained or killed hundreds of Sadr's followers in recent months.
Labels: Abdul Mahdi al-Mtiri, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Qusay Abdul Wahab, transport minister Salam al-Maliki
