Grave matters

Talk of national reconciliation continues, as does the killing

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Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, addresses the Kurdish Parliament in the city of Arbil, on the ongoing crisis that arouse after he banned the Iraqi flag from being hoisted on government offices in the region. In reaction, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki ordered that the Iraqi flag be hoisted across "every inch of Iraq"

National unity efforts topped the political agenda in Iraq this week. Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki visited the country's top Shia cleric, Ali Al-Sistani, Saturday. After the visit Al-Sistani's office released a statement supporting national reconciliation efforts and urging an end to violence in the country. Nonetheless, Al-Sistani was critical of the government's inability to maintain law and order. "The inability of the government to provide security and protect the lives of citizens opens the door for other forces to assume that task, which is a grave matter," the statement said.

This was the first time for Iraq's top Shia cleric to speak out against the country's militia in such clear terms. Al-Sistani called on the government to disarm the militia and allow no one but state security forces to carry arms. Meanwhile, the Iraqi prime minister said that a committee would be formed of representatives from all the political forces participating in the government. The committee would examine recommendations made by various tribes, clerics, and intellectuals concerning national reconciliation, Al-Maliki said.

National reconciliation was also the topic of talks between President Jalal Al-Talibani and a visiting US delegation led by James Baker. The former secretary of state is preparing a report on Iraq to be submitted to the US administration following mid-term congressional elections.

Iraqi media has voiced concern over prospects of a civil war in the country. Various press sources denounced attacks on several churches in which 10 people died. The newspaper Al-Bayan, mouthpiece of the Daawa Party, blamed the attacks on "the same people" who attacked mosques in the past. Those who attack places of worship, the newspaper said, are not helping Iraq get rid of occupation.

In Kurdistan, the replacement of the Iraqi flag with the Kurdish one has triggered controversy. Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Al-Barzani said that the decision was taken "in consultation with President Jalal Al-Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki." Yet Al-Maliki issued a statement saying that, "the Iraqi flag is the one that must be hoisted in every inch of Iraq, until the country's parliament issues a decision in that respect."

Speaking at a session of the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament, Barzani said he had told Al-Maliki and Talabani on 14 July that he intended to hoist the Kurdish flag. He didn't say whether the Iraqi prime minister or president agreed to the proposed measure. Barzani added: "No one has the right to dictate things to the Kurdish people." He was responding to Saleh Al-Muttalek, leader of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front, who railed that the substitution of the Kurdish flag for the Iraqi flag was "intolerable" and could be reversed "by force".

Barzani described the current Iraqi flag as the flag of "the Baath and Anfal" (Saddam Hussein's alleged lethal campaign against the Kurds), "of chemical weapons and the drainage of marshland, of repression and mass graves." Barzani also complained that the budget allocated by the central government to Kurdistan was inadequate.

But in an interview with Al-Ahram 's Sahar Abdel-Rahman, Iraqi foreign minister Hoshayar Zebari downplayed the incident saying that there has been "much exaggeration". "The Iraqi flag has not been hoisted on many a governmental building in Kurdistan area since 1991," Zebari said. Zebari who is visiting Cairo to attend foreign ministers' meeting, dismissed as "baseless" reports of Kurdish separatist aspirations. "The Kurds are keen on keeping Iraq's national unity intact since they are partners in power and are no longer a group on the fringe vying for power. The separation is not even on our agenda," added Zebari.

He pointed out that Baghdad's security plan has been "a success" in some areas and that violence has decreased to 45 per cent. The third phase of the plan was underway. The transfer of power from the US occupying forces to the Iraqi forces, according to Zebari, will reflect positively on the security situation.

In another blow to Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Hamed Al-Sayidi (aka Abu Hammad), believed to be the group's number two, was arrested this week. Speaking at a press conference, Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwaffaq Al-Rubeyi said that Sayidi was arrested north of Baghdad a few days ago. Sayidi is believed to have ordered the bombing of the two imams' mausoleum in Samaraa. Al-Qaeda's Abu Ayoub Al-Masri is still at large.

In other news, US occupation forces have postponed the formation of a unified Iraqi staff command that would have taken control of the entire Iraqi army. For the time being, the Iraqi army still takes orders from the US army.

Meanwhile, attacks on Iraqi civilians and army personnel continued unabated. In Al-Khales and Falluja, nine Iraqis, including five army soldiers, were killed and 21 others wounded. Sheikh Hassan Al-Jawwadi, Al-Sistani's representative in Al-Amara, was killed by gunmen a few days ago.

A group calling itself Jund Al-Sahaba (Soldiers of the Prophet's Followers) claimed responsibility for a series of attacks against followers of Shia leader Muqtada Al-Sadr in Baghdad last Thursday in which 50 died. A source at Martyr Al-Sadr Office in Al-Diwaniya said that Muqtada Al-Sadr has ordered his Mahdi Army to stop toting guns in the street and refrain from challenging Iraqi and US patrols.