IRAQ’S PRIME minister has called for the reactivation of the Sunni Awakening militias to counter deadly bomb attacks by al-Qaeda and its allies.
This amounted to an about-turn by Nuri al-Maliki who alienated Sunnis by dissolving and disarming Awakening forces that helped the US curb and contain al-Qaeda during 2007-2008, arrested their officers and reduced the salaries of fighters from $300 to $100 a month.
Mr Maliki – whose State of Law bloc won 89 seats in the 325- member assembly in the March 7th election – also accused neighbouring states of interfering in his country’s domestic affairs with the aim of influencing the formation of a new government.
He did not specify which of Iraq’s six neighbours were meddling but his comment came a day after King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia expressed the hope for a government comprising all of Iraq’s political blocs.
On Saturday Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi Qoomi, said any coalition would have to include Iraqiya, the secular bloc which won 91 seats, the largest number, and invited an Iraqiya delegation to visit Tehran for consultations.
Since neither State of Law nor Iraqiya won a decisive victory, both are scrambling to secure the 163 seats needed to form a government before parliament sits in June.
Iran’s intention to reach out to Iraqiya was heralded by declarations by its allies, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, and the movement loyal to radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr that they would not participate in any coalition excluding Iraqiya.
The Sadrists, in particular, dislike and distrust Mr Maliki who ordered Iraqi and US troops to crush the movement’s militia which, until 2008, had controlled southern cities and the Sadr City suburb of Baghdad.
In an informal referendum conducted by the Sadrists, Mr Maliki was rejected as a possible prime minister. After the result was announced, Mr Sadr said: “There is a veto of the people against Maliki.”
To make matters worse for Mr Maliki, Shia Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, based in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, warned against excluding any winning bloc from the new government because the rejected bloc could resort to violence.
The stands of Riyadh, Tehran, and Najaf have clearly rattled Mr Maliki who has declared that State of Law will not join a coalition with Iraqiya led by former prime minister, Iyad Allawi.
Mr Maliki has adopted various means to deny Iraqiya its chance to form a government. He is now calling for a recount of 750,000 votes representing 15 seats in five provinces, including Baghdad.
“This number could change the election results,” Hajim al-Hassani, spokesman of the bloc said. Earlier an Iraqiya winner was arrested by security forces and the de-Baathification panel called for the disqualification of winners from Iraqiya alleged to have ties to the outlawed Baath party.
Meanwhile, Iraqi provincial authorities have blamed shortcomings of the security forces for bombings and shootings which have killed 13 people and left 50 wounded over the past three days.
