DAR AL ISLAM - IRAQ: MALIKI'S TIES TO SHI'ITE MILITIAS IN IRAQ ATTACKED

Maliki attacked for ties to Shia militants
By Daniel Dombey in London and Steve Negus in Baghdad

Iraq’s most senior Sunni politician on Monday launched a bitter personal attack on the country’s prime minister, warning Nouri al-Maliki that the Iraqi government had only limited time to break with sectarian groups and start delivering to ordinary citizens.

In comments to the media in London, where he also met top British officials, Tariq al-Hashimi, Iraq’s vice president, said Mr Maliki had failed to break his ties with Shia militias and that Washington would only give him a limited time to succeed.

...

Mr Hashimi said that Mr Maliki had to try to be a prime minister “for all the people” rather than maintaining his affiliation with the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. He said Mr Maliki had to be “encouraged” to break away from Mr Sadr and unite with other groups in Iraqi society, such as the Sunni and the Kurds. Mr Hashimi said US officials believed Mr Maliki was “behind schedule” and only had limited time to try for national reconciliation.

At present, he said, 200-300 Sunni were leaving Baghdad every day for Jordan and Syria and that the west of Baghdad was at risk of becoming a “no man’s land” for the Sunni community.

...

Pertinent Links:

1) Maliki attacked for ties to Shia militants