Kurdish Regional Government halts all oil exports in dispute with Maliki government

Maliki's federal government claims an exclusive right as far as exporting oil is concerned. The Kurdistan Regional Government begs to differ. To make its point the KRG has halted all exports of oil from Kurdistan. This move will hurt both Kurdistan and the federal Iraqi government.

The KRG claims that the Maliki government owes them $1.5 billion dollars as part of a deal to share revenues. The KRG had already decreased exports to 50,000 barrels a day to protest against the non-payment. According to the KRG they have not received a cent from the federal government in 10 months.

For its part the Maliki government claims the KRG has produced much less oil than promised and as a result owes the Finance Ministry compensation for this failure. This sounds like a lame excuse.

Oil sharing provisions are written into the Iraq constitution but the terms continue to be a matter of dispute. In particular the central government objects to oil deals signed with foreign companies by the KRG. These the central government considers illegal and invalid.

Oil is just one of a number of disputes between the central government and the KRG. The KRG sheltered the Iraqi vice-president who was wanted for supposedly supporting terrorist operations against Shias. For more see this article.

Iraq: Qatar receives fleeing Iraqi vice-president on official visit!

Vice-president Tareq al-Hashimi is charged by the Maliki government with operating death squads that killed Shia pilgrims. Al-Hashemi denies the charges. Some think the charges are politically motivated and intended to give Maliki more power.

Qatar said that al-Hashemi was on an official visit. Now there is a new spin! Al-Hashemi fled to the autonomous Kurdistan area of Iraq after being charged. The government issued an arrest warrant in December. This is April Fool's Day so I guess it is appropriate for Qatar to say that a fugitive from the law is on an official visit! But the Qatari government seems serious.

The Minister of State for Qatar said:"Vice President of the Republic of Iraq Tariq al-Hashimi arrived here on Sunday on a several-day official visit to Qatar. He was welcomed upon arrival at Doha International Airport by HE Minister of State Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser bin Jassim Al Thani." Al-Hashimi is to meet with the emir of Qatar and also the prime minister while visiting. Perhaps they will try to negotiate an end to the situation and re-instate the vice president. Al-Hashemi was invited to visit Qatar. Apparently he plans to visit other countries as well.

Maliki told reporters that any member of the Arab League should not receive al-Hashimi. However he also said it was up to international authorities to request that he be returned to Iraq. So far nothing seems to have happened. For more see this article.

Iraq VP accuses government of torturing his bodyguard to death

The Iraqi Vice President al-Hashemi blamed the death of one of his bodyguards on the Iraqi government. The body of Amer al-Batawi was given to his family last week. No cause of death was listed on his death certificate. The government arrested al-Batawi in a sweep of his staff three months ago.

The government accuses al-Hasehmi and his staff of supporting or even engaging in terrorism. Al-Hashemi was able to flee to Kurdistan where he remains. Many think that Maliki is simply trying to consolidate his power

Meanwhile violence continues in Iraq as Al Qaeda seems to be coordinating numerous attacks. The other day 22 Iraqis were killed and 30 wounded. For more see this article. There is conflict both within the Iraqi government over Maliki's increasing dictator-like acts and in the streets as Islamic radicals step up attacks hoping to increase sectarian strife.

Obama administration plays quiet role in Iraq elections controversy

Criticism of Obama as not being forceful enough in trying to shape the outcome of Iraqi elections is misguided. Some critics are arrogant and ignorant at the same time. Openly espousing certain outcomes would be bound to fan resentment and even more anti-American feeling in Iraq. Even behind the scenes arm twisting may be dangerous. Sometimes Americans do not seem to realize they may be powerless to force the outcome they want. The Obama administration is probably doing exactly the right sort of action but critics should realize that such action simply may not be successful. Maliki should be stopped and the U.S. should try to help those who are working to stop him but there is no guarantee of success. This is from the cable.

Obama administration plays quiet role in Iraq elections controversy
Posted By Josh Rogin
The Obama administration has been actively, but quietly working with both sides in the Iraqi elections controversy, which is getting ugly over in Baghdad.

There's a lot of criticism in Washington today of the Obama team's approach to the aftermath of the Iraqi national elections last month. Leading conservatives are accusing the administration of taking too much of a hands-off approach as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki works to get enough candidates disqualified to turn the tide toward his State of Law list and away from the Iraqi List led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

"The United States might be about to lose an opportunity for success in Iraq by tolerating a highly sectarian, politicized move to overturn Iraq's election results," scholars Frederick and Kimberly Kagan wrote in Friday's Washington Post. "Washington must act swiftly to defend the integrity of the electoral process and support Iraqi leaders' tentative efforts to rein in the ‘de-Baathification' commission that threatens to undermine the entire democratic process ... Staying silent is not the same as remaining neutral."

Administration officials maintain that this is exactly what it is doing, even if the public can't see it.

"The administration has been deeply engaged in this process from the beginning, at every level, with Ambassador [Christopher] Hill, General [Raymond] Odierno, the vice president, and others frequently making our views known and offering our assistance where appropriate," one senior administration official told The Cable, noting that Vice President Joseph Biden has been in regular contact with Iraqi leaders since the election.

The administration's effort is about process, being careful not to openly criticize either side but still setting down some clear definitions about what a fair process should look like.

"As we've said all along, it is for Iraqis to decide these matters," the official said. "But it is imperative for the credibility of the elections and of the election certification process... that the procedures be fair and transparent. It is also imperative that every vote count and no Iraqi be disenfranchised."

Allwai fears Baghdad vote recount could be manipulated.

Allawi has reason to fear. Maliki has been doing everything possible to overturn the results of the election even though he if anyone had most control over the process. Many Sunni candidates were disqualified. As the article mentions international observers certified the process as fair. Yet Maliki is contesting the results even in Baghdad where he won. If there are no observers then everyone will suspect that the recount was meant to help Maliki even if it is fair. If there are no observers this will only heighten an already tense situation as the Sunnis and Allawi will believe that Allawi's right to form a coalition government is being stolen away from them.

Allawi fears Baghdad vote recount could be manipulated
By Agence France Presse (AFP)




BAGHDAD: Former Iraqi Premier Iyad Allawi, whose Iraqiya bloc narrowly won last month’s general election, said on Tuesday he was concerned about possible irregularities during a recount ordered for Baghdad.

Iraqiya “supports the manual recount of ballots, but we are worried about practices that could accompany this exercise and which could lead to a change in the results that would benefit certain groups,” he told a news conference.

Allawi beat Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki nationwide by securing 91 seats against the incumbent’s 89, according to unofficial results.

In Baghdad, with 70 seats the largest prize in the 325-seat parliament, Allawi gained 24 seats to 26 for Maliki’s State of Law bloc.

“Are there going to be any international observers to supervise this process,” Allawi asked, adding the outcome of the March 7 election was “favorably welcomed” by the international community.

Although Maliki came out ahead in the capital, he alleged there had been manipulation in voting stations as he lost a total of 750,000 votes in five provinces, including Baghdad.

Maliki Aide: We wont Recognize Iraq Election Results

The results are extremely close. The two main groups are neck and neck and Sadr's group is also doing well. It may be difficult to form a coalition government. Comments such as this by the Maliki aide are going to do nothing to stabilize the situation. Sectarian violence is always a possibility. This is from antiwar.com.

Maliki Aide: We Won’t Recognize Election Results
Posted By Jason Ditz
An aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today insisted that his State of Law party will not recognize the final election results, expected later this week, because the election commission declined their request for a manual recount.

The aide, Ali al-Adib, declared that the party had “strong, clear evidence” of fraud against them, though the only evidence cited was the “surprising” gains by the opposition Iraqiya party of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

Yet Iraqiya’s gains were largely as a result of a strong showing in Sunni dominated areas, areas where State of Law was all but invisible. Hundreds of claims of fraud have been registered, mostly against State of Law, but the election commission has insisted that so far none have been significant enough to replace the results.

It is unclear what practical effect the refusal to recognize the results would have, but given Iraq’s long history of messy transfers of power, the potential to destabilize the nation seems very real.

Report: Maliki will endorse US security pact.

The pact will still need to go through the Iraqi parliament in which there may still be quite a bit of opposition. Shiite leaders such as Sistani and Al Sadr still do not support the draft apparently. See this report.

Report: Maliki Will Endorse US Security Pact
Posted November 14, 2008
With Iraq’s cabinet preparing to discuss the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States, and a vote expected sometime this weekend, the latest and seemingly final draft of the controversial deal is expected to receive a shot in the arm in the form of an endorsement by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The Los Angeles Times cites one of Maliki’s “trusted confidants” who says the prime minister will press his cabinet to approve the deal and give an address endorsing the deal ahead of a vote in parliament. Maliki’s support for the SOFA will likely be of enormous help in getting the deal through the cabinet, but there is no guarantee it will sway parliament to support the measure over popular objection.
Iraq requested over 100 amendments to the previous “final” draft of the SOFA, which also seemed to have the support of the prime minister before popular sentiment turned securely against it. The United States accepted some of the amendments, but rejected others, most particularly a change regarding immunity for US troops who commit crimes in Iraq.The White House has also endorsed the current draft, with spokesman Gordon Johndroe calling it a “good agreement.” This is hardly surprising, of course, in that they were the ones who submitted the draft in the first place. State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood indicated that the US was unwilling to entertain further negotiations, but they seemed quite resistant to the current round until Prime Minister Maliki announced he would not be submitting the draft to parliament without amendments.

Secret U.S. operation kills Iraqi, strains relations

This is from McClatchy.
These operations are often counter-productive in terms of relations with occupied countries. The same type of operations have created havoc in Afghanistan. Not only the U.S. there but also British and perhaps even Canadian special forces are involved in Afghanistan. Many if not most of the operations clearly violate international law and often involve war crimes. No one seems to care except the local people who no doubt develop an undying hatred for the occupying forces.
This particular operation has gained publicity only because a person who was a relative of an important person was killed. I wonder if this operation will garner any headlines in the U.S. mainstream media.



Secret U.S. operation kills Iraqi, strains relations
By Hannah A

llam, McClatchy NewspapersSat Jun 28, 6:11 PM ET
�
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Senior Iraqi government officials said Saturday that a U.S. Special Forces counterterrorism unit conducted the raid that reportedly killed a relative of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki , touching off a high-stakes diplomatic crisis between the United States and Iraq .
U.S. military officials in Baghdad had no comment for the second day in a row, an unusual position for a command that typically releases information on combat operations within 24 hours.
The raid occurred at dawn Friday in the town of Janaja near Maliki's birthplace in the southern, mostly Shiite Muslim province of Karbala . Ali Abdulhussein Razak al Maliki , who was killed in the raid, was related to the prime minister and had close ties to his personal security detail, according to authorities in Karbala .
The incident puts an added strain on U.S.-Iraqi negotiations to draft a Status of Forces Agreement, a long-term security pact that will govern the conduct of U.S. forces in Iraq . Members of the Iraqi government and security forces said the raid only deepened their reluctance to sign any agreement that did not leave Iraqis with the biggest say on when and how combat operations are conducted.
The U.S. military handed Iraqi forces control of Karbala security in October 2007 . By the end of 2007 the U.S. military had transferred nine of the country's 18 provinces to Iraqi control.
"We are afraid now of signing the long-term pact between Iraq and America because of such unjustified violations by the troops. Handing over security in provinces doesn't mean anything to the American troops," said Mohamed Hussein al Musawi , a senior Najaf-based member of the prime minister's Dawa Party . "We condemn these barbaric actions not only when they target a relative of Maliki's, but when any Iraqi is targeted in the same way."
Outrage over the mysterious operation has spread to the highest levels of the Iraqi government, which is demanding an explanation for how such a raid occurred in a province ostensibly under full Iraqi command.
"This is a Special Forces operation, an antiterrorism unit that operates almost independently so there's been no coordination with the local forces on the ground," said a high-ranking member of the Iraqi government who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the extreme sensitivity of the issue. "That's why it's so important to have a Status of Forces Agreement to regulate this relationship. As long as it's vague and open, these incidents will continue to happen."
U.S. and Iraqi officials have been in difficult negotiations to draft a Status of Forces Agreement. Among the main sticking points are whether the U.S. military can stage combat operations without the consent of the Iraqi government and whether to grant immunity to American troops and security contractors.
Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman called Friday's operation "unacceptable" and had strained relations between the countries.
"This is a big embarrassment for Prime Minister Maliki because he was in that area two days before the incident, telling his people that we are the masters in our country and the decisions were ours to make," Othman said. "This is why we are afraid of agreements and immunity. ... If there are wanted people in any area, why not send an Iraqi force to do the job?"
Iraqi officials in Karbala said the operation began at dawn Friday with U.S. aircraft delivering dozens of American troops to the rural Shiite Muslim town of Janaja, which is populated mostly by members of the Maliki tribe. Authorities said the raid apparently was aimed at capturing what the military calls a "high-value target," often a reference to the leader of a militant cell.
Raed Shakir Jowdet, the Iraqi military commander of Karbala operations, told journalists Friday that the Americans had acted on faulty intelligence. He said four U.S. military helicopters and a jet fighter soared over the area that morning. About 60 U.S. ground forces then stormed the town, "terrifying the families," Jowdet said. At least one man was detained, though some Iraqi authorities said more were taken into custody.
�
(Special correspondent Qassim Zein contributed from Najaf.)

Sadrists and Iraq government reach truce deal..

This is from the NY Times.

What you have here is Iran supporting Maliki. The Americans have lost the Iraq war long ago once some sort of majority government was allowed. Sadr is a nationalist rather than a friend of Iran. Iran supported him only to hedge their bets and pester the Americans. For his part Maliki will have to stop his U.S. supported drive against the Sadrists in Sadr city. Maliki seems to have regained control in Basra but I have not seen much on the situation there recently. The U.S. keeps complaining about Iran while Iran has good relations with Maliki and no doubt helps supply the Badr brigades who at the moment are not attacking the U.S. Why should they when the U.S. supports the Maliki government!

May 11, 2008
Sadrists and Iraqi Government Reach Truce Deal
By ALISSA J. RUBIN
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government and leaders of the movement of the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr agreed Saturday to a truce, brokered with help from Iran, that would end more than a month of bloody fighting in the vast, crowded Sadr City section of Baghdad.
The fighting there, which has claimed several hundred lives, left many more wounded and forced residents to flee, has tested the ability of Iraq’s Shiite-led government to confront powerful Shiite militias, here in Baghdad and in Basra, to the south.
The deal would allow the sides to pull back from what was becoming a messy and unpopular showdown in the months leading up to crucial provincial elections. It is not clear who won, how long it would take for the truce to take effect or how long it would hold. But at least for now it would end the warfare among Shiite factions.
The Iranians helped end the standoff by throwing their weight behind the government after a delegation of Shiite members of Parliament visited Iran earlier this month, according to three people involved in negotiating the truce.
Under the terms of the agreement, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s government would gain control over Sadr City, now a largely lawless area, and in turn give members of Mr. Sadr’s militia who were not actively involved in the fighting a guarantee that they would not be arrested.
The decision to negotiate a cease-fire came as both parties appeared to realize that they were losing ground. Civilians in Sadr City blame both sides for their suffering.
The Iraqi government has done little to ease the crisis and allow medical and other aid to reach people. There has been almost no effort to repair the shattered neighborhood, where burned-out cars and piles of bricks from bomb-damaged houses are common sights..
For the Shiite militias, losses have been rising as well. They are suffering more casualties and are also being blamed for the deaths of some civilians, who frequently bear the brunt of the gun battles. More than 30 people have been killed there since Thursday.
Furthermore, the political establishment appears to have turned against them, at least for now.
“The ground has changed for them,” said Jalaluddin al-Sagheer, a member of Parliament from the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a rival party to the Sadrists. “They are suffering a lot of losses and defeats, and they are politically isolated.”
Conversely, he added, “there is national, political unity” coalescing behind the government.
The visit to Iran by members of Parliament had been cited by the Americans as the first Iraqi effort to confront Iran with evidence of its training, financing and arming of Shiite militias in Iraq. But the trip evolved into a sophisticated political maneuver that could help the Iraqis out of a situation that was taking a rising toll on the country’s political stability.
The members of Parliament asked Iran to lean on the Shiite militias they have influence with, said Ali Adeeb, a Parliament member from Mr. Maliki’s Dawa Party who was part of the delegation. “They said the better way to deal with the Sadrists is by negotiation; don’t fight them and don’t use force.”
Haider Abbadi, another member of Parliament, said the Iranians “promised that they would pressure all the groups that they have communication with to defer to Iraqi law.”
Mr. Sadr’s representatives did not answer phone calls late Saturday and have not confirmed Iran’s role in the negotiations. Nor was it certain that Mr. Sadr had personally signed off on the deal, although a spokesman confirmed that “the Sadr movement” had agreed to the truce.
Whether the truce will last is an open question. In Basra, where a similar deal was struck last month, violence stopped completely almost overnight, but in recent days there have been a few explosions of homemade bombs and rocket fire that suggest the armed groups are merely underground for the time being.
Iran’s influence could prove invaluable in that regard. If the Iranians supply the weapons, cash and training that American intelligence officials say they do, they could threaten to limit or cut off those supplies, hampering the militias’ ability to fight. Iran has denied supplying the militias.
Mr. Sadr has long had a fraught relationship with Iran. A staunch Arab nationalist, he has eschewed close political ties to Tehran, making it unclear whether he would heed Iran’s requests.
By Saturday evening, word of the truce had yet to trickle down to the front lines in Sadr City, where the fighting continued. Four homemade bombs exploded there in the late afternoon and there were several firefights.
However, a commander of Mr. Sadr’s militia who goes by the nom de guerre Haji Abu Mohammed said the order had gone out only in the early evening for gunmen to begin to withdraw from the streets.
Parliament members involved in the deal said the gunmen had four days to fully withdraw. The agreement also permits the Iraqi Army to search for weapons in Sadr City and detain fighters for whom they have warrants.
Militia fighters would have to refrain from firing on the Green Zone. If they complied, the American military would not be involved in the military operations in the militia-held northern part of Sadr City.
Residents of Sadr City expressed doubt that the truce would hold and frustration at both the government and the militia. “All that we hope for is safety and safety and security,” Abu Hussein said as he lugged a container of fuel home for his generator. “The only loser in this battle has been the people. The politicians live on the government, not with us here. They do not feel the suffering of the neighborhood.”
The Iraqi Army division that has been fighting in Sadr City is already holding meetings to discuss the next steps. Previously, the Iraqi Army was making plans to enter the militia-held area of Sadr City by force.
The Iraqi Army is now stationed in the southern part of the neighborhood with American Army units. The Iraqis hold the forward positions closest to the front lines. The northern area has been held by Shiite militias, both those of Mr. Sadr, the Mahdi Army, and the so-called special groups that the American military and many Iraqis say are linked more directly to Iran.
The flashpoint for the past four weeks has been the dividing line, Al Quds Street. The Americans have built a high concrete wall between the two areas, and militia members have been trying to blow a hole in the thick concrete.
Late Friday afternoon, some children played kickball along the militia-held side of the wall while two men carrying medium-heavy machine guns and a third with an AK-47 rifle observed it from a nearby alley. Seeing a reporter and photographer nearby, the gunmen asked the journalists to leave because they wanted to launch an attack. Then they vanished into the warren of bomb-wrecked buildings.
In the north on Saturday, Iraqi security officials said they were renewing their operations against Sunni insurgents in Mosul. Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, commander of Iraqi armed forces in Nineveh Province, said large numbers of Iraqi forces had been sent there to “clean the province of Al Qaeda remnants,” referring to the homegrown Sunni insurgent group, Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, that American intelligence officers say has foreign leadership.
Reporting was contributed by Michael R. Gordon, Qais Mizher, Ammar Karim, Mudhafer al-Husaini and Riyadh Mohammed.

Iraqi PM orders freeze on raids.

This is from AFP. Maliki has changed his tune within 24 hours, no doubt because otherwise he will be in deep trouble unable to defeat Sadr in Basra and elsewhere. The mantra about giving the militia time to lay down their arms is simply a face-saving device. They will not use them until Sadr says to do so but they are not about to hand them over to the government as Maliki wants. If Maliki wants peace he will have to get used to the fact that Sadr is building up his power base and could do exceedingly well in elections in the fall.


Iraqi PM orders freeze on raids
1 hour ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Friday ordered his forces to stop raids across Iraq to allow time for those wanting to surrender their weapons in the wake of fierce clashes with Shiite fighters.

"To give a chance to those who wish to lay down their arms, all raids and search operations will be stopped in all areas," Maliki said in a statement released by his office.

Reiterating a similar order issued earlier this week, Maliki, however, ordered his forces to "chase those who have returned to arms."

Maliki had on Tuesday ordered his security forces to stop random arrests and raids in Shiite areas after clashes between his forces and Shiite fighters subsided in the southern oil port of Basra, in Baghdad and in other regions.

The clashes erupted after Maliki ordered a crackdown on Shiite militants, mostly from the Mahdi Army of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

During the assaults, in which more than 460 people were killed, Maliki gave an April 8 deadline to residents of Basra to hand over heavy and medium weapons in return for cash in a bid to cut the supply of weapons to the militiamen.

The firefights in Basra and other areas died down after Sadr ordered his fighters off the streets but demanded that the government stop random arrests of his followers.

In his latest order, Maliki told the security forces to "guarantee the safety of those who have surrendered their arms from the perpetrators of violence."

He also urged them to help the families displaced during the violence and promised compensation for their losses.

Iraqi officials in talks with Sadr group to stop fighting.

This is from SMH.Probably the U.S. was urging Maliki to attack Sadr's militia guaranteeing him backup, a backup that has been increasingly evident. This can do nothing but damage Maliki's credibility such as it is. If the war goes sour again as it probably will unless there is a renewed agreement on a ceasefire this could damage McCain's chances and make it difficult for the Democratic candidate to avoid promising a genuine pullout. Note that Sadr's is not the only militia in Basra just the one whose power Maliki and the U.S. wants to curb. Note that the negotiations are not for the Sadr group to lay down arms but to stop fighting. The ultimatum is obviously a no go.



Iraqi officials in talks with Sadr group to end fighting
Representatives of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi authorities have begun talks to end fierce fighting between security forces and Shiite militiamen that has killed several hundred people, an aide to Sadr said on Sunday.

"Negotiations between the Sadr movement and an Iraqi government delegation started last night (Saturday) and are going in the right direction to solve the crisis," Salah al-Obeidi, Sadr's spokesman in the shrine city of Najaf, told AFP.

The talks began hours after Sadr ordered his followers to defy a call by prime minister Nuri al-Maliki to lay down their arms in the southern port and oil hub of Basra, the flashpoint of the brutal clashes.

"These are the first direct negotiations between the two sides to try to resolve the crisis," said Liqa al-Yassin, a Sadrist MP.

It was unclear if the talks had resumed on Sunday.

Both the Iraqi capital and Basra remained under curfew on Sunday amid the deadly standoff between the Iraqi security forces and Sadr's feared Madhi Army, the most powerful Shiite militia in the violence-ravaged country.

Maliki had given a 72-hour deadline to Shiite fighters in Basra to disarm after launching an offensive against them last Tuesday.

The deadline expired on Friday.

"Sadr has told us not to surrender our arms except to a state that can throw out the (US) occupation," Haider al-Jabari of the Sadr movement's political bureau told AFP on Saturday.

The same day, Maliki vowed to press on with his assault in Basra, saying the militiamen were "worse than Al-Qaeda."

"Unfortunately we were talking about Al-Qaeda but there are some among us who are worse than Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is killing innocents, Al-Qaeda is destroying establishments and they (Shiite gunmen) also," he said.

Basra is the focus of a turf war between the Mahdi Army and two rival Shiite factions -- the powerful Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim and the smaller Fadhila party.

The stand-off there has spread to other Shiite areas of Iraq, including the sprawling Shiite neighbourhood of Baghdad's Sadr City, the bastion of Sadr loyalists.

Fighting in Sadr City has killed at least 90 people since Tuesday and the nationwide death toll has crossed 270, including at least 50 in Basra, according to security officials

The two cities of Baghdad and Basra were locked down on Sunday amid round-the-clock curfew for several days.

Pedestrians and vehicles stayed off the streets of the Iraqi capital for a third straight day of curfew, while the oil hub of Basra was relatively calm, residents said.

They however added that two neighbourhoods of Basra had been bombed during night by US or British jets. The two militaries did not immediately confirm the assaults.

US warplanes had carried out air strikes in the city on Friday and Saturday in which several people were killed, Iraqi and US officials said.

But on Sunday, the US military acknowledged that its ground troops had started participating in the Basra assault.

A team of American special forces joined the battle in Basra, combining with Iraqi troops in an operation that killed 22 militants on Saturday, the military said.

The joint operation was in a known "criminal stronghold" in western Basra, a US military statement said.

Earlier US and Bitish forces have said they have been giving air support to operations since Tuesday.

British troops have deployed outside their base on the edge of Basra in support of the Iraqi operations, British military spokesman Major Tom Holloway said on Sunday.

"There are no plans for our troops to enter the city. We are providing other forms of support," he told AFP.

This includes air support and surveillance as well as logistical back-up including refuelling helicopters and supplying ammunition and medical supplies.

The stand-off between Iraqi and US-led forces is the most intense one since 2004, when the Mahdi Army launched a rebellion against American troops in the central city of Najaf.

Other Shiite cities, such as Kut, Hilla, Nasiriyah and Karbala, meanwhile were also quiet Sunday after heavy clashes earlier in the week.

© 2008 AFP

Shiite Anger Mounts in Iraq Amid Clashes.

This is from AP. Notice that there is air support involved in these attacks and that certainly is not coming from the Iraqi govt. This crackdown no doubt has the blessing of the U.S. It could very well be that it is at the prompting of the occupiers. Maliki is risking the downfall of his government through taking such action and outright civil war among Shiite factions. The crackdown is obviously going far beyond rogue elements of the Mahdi army. In fact the U.S. and Iraqi government have forced Sadr to return to politics at a time when he was about to take time off to meditate! The quiet times are history unless a new ceasefire is quickly negotiated and that seems unlikely.

Shiite Anger Mounts in Iraq Amid Clashes
By KIM GAMEL – 52 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — Tens of thousands of Shiites took to Baghdad's streets to protest the government crackdown on militias in Basra as heavy fighting between Iraqi security forces and gunmen erupted for a third day in the southern oil port and the capital.

Iraqi officials reported 17 more people killed in overnight clashes in Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City and raised the number of deaths from fighting in the southern city of Hillah to at least 60.

Mounting anger focused on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite who is personally overseeing an operation against Shiite militias dominated by followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr amid a violent power struggle in Basra, Iraq's southern oil hub near the Iranian border.

The events threatened to unravel a Mahdi Army cease-fire and spark a dramatic escalation in violence after a monthslong period of relative calm.

There is minimal presence of the U.S.-led coalition in Basra after British forces turned over responsibility for the area to the Iraqis in late December, and the crisis was seen as a test of the government's ability to take over security.

Demonstrators in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Kazimiyah called al-Maliki a "new dictator" as they carried a coffin bearing a crossed-out picture of the U.S.-backed prime minister, who belongs to a rival political party.

A sea of people also rallied in Sadr City, chanting slogans against the government and in favor of al-Sadr amid rising fears that the cleric's cease-fire order to his Mahdi Army militia is unraveling.

Sheik Salman al-Feraiji, al-Sadr's chief representative in Sadr City, issued a statement with demands to quell the discontent, including the release of Sadrist detainees, an end to military operations against them and al-Maliki's resignation.

Suspected Shiite extremists also hammered the U.S.-protected Green Zone for the fourth day this week, firing several rounds of apparent rockets that sent a huge plume of smoke above the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad.

The U.S. military said 16 rockets slammed into the Green Zone on Wednesday, wounding a U.S. soldier, two American civilians and an Iraqi soldier. An American financial analyst also was killed in this week's first spate of Green Zone attacks on Sunday.

The violence continued a day after al-Maliki warned gunmen in Basra to surrender their weapons by Friday or face harsher measures, as clashes between security forces and Shiite militia fighters spread throughout the south and in Baghdad.

Despite the ultimatum, heavy gunfire and explosions resounded across Basra while helicopters and jet fighters buzzed overhead. The city's police chief escaped an assassination attempt late Thursday but three of his guards were killed in the roadside bombing.

Government troops have faced stiff resistance in neighborhoods controlled by the Mahdi Army in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. Residents spoke of militiamen using mortar shells, sniper fire, roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades to fight off security forces.

A Pentagon official said Wednesday that reports from the Basra area indicate that militiamen had overrun a number of police stations and that it was unclear how well the Iraqi security forces were performing overall. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Street battles that started Tuesday in Basra and Sadr City spread to several other neighborhoods and southern cities, leaving nearly 200 dead, including civilians, Iraqi security forces and militants. That three-day figure was a rough estimate provided by police and hospital officials who could not give a more specific breakdown.

The death toll in the Shiite city of Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, rose to at least 60, according to a senior police official who asked not to be identified because of security concerns.

He said that was the number of bodies counted after fierce clashes that began on Wednesday and continued Thursday morning.

The U.S. military said four suspected Shiite extremists were killed in an airstrike but it had no further details.

Two American soldiers were also killed Wednesday in separate attacks in Baghdad, the military said.

The Sadrists are angry over recent raids and detentions, saying U.S. and Iraqi forces have taken advantage of the August cease-fire to crack down on the movement.

They have accused rival Shiite parties, which control Iraqi security forces, of engineering the arrests to prevent them from mounting an effective campaign after the Iraqi parliament agreed in February to hold provincial elections by the fall.

The U.S. military has insisted the fight is being led by the Iraqi government and was not against al-Sadr's movement but breakaway factions believed to be funded and trained by Iran, which has denied the allegations.

President Bush told The Times of London in an interview published Wednesday that the Iraqi government's decision to "respond forcefully" was a "positive moment in the development of a sovereign nation that is willing to take on elements that believe they are beyond the law."

The violence also was raising concerns about Iraq's beleaguered oil industry since Basra accounts for most of the country's exports.

A bomb struck an oil pipeline Thursday in Basra, a local oil official said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to release the information.

Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani, however, sought to assure international oil companies.

"The security situation in Basra is still unstable ... but this has not reflected negatively works at oil output and export installations," al-Shahristani told the U.S.-funded Radio Sawa.

In other violence reported by police, a booby-trapped car exploded near the Iraqi Red Crescent Society's offices in Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding five.

Gunmen also killed a U.S.-allied Sunni fighter and wounded his wife and daughter after storming his house in the northern city of Samarra late Wednesday.


Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin and Hamid Ahmed contributed to this report.
Hosted by Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Discontent in Iraq with daily life issues.

With security issues a bit improved other daily problems are becoming of greater concern. Political wrangling also seems to be on the increase. If Sadr were to abandon his ceasefire then violence could begin to rise again. The cold weather with no heat certainly will not cool tempers.


ANALYSIS: Discontent surges in Iraq

AP NEWS ANALYSIS: Al-Maliki Faces Growing Discontent, Scathing Criticism From Major Backer

HAMZA HENDAWI
AP News

Jan 19, 2008 16:16 EST

In the depths of a strangely cold winter in the Middle East, Iraqis complain that the lights are not on, the kerosene heaters are without fuel and the water doesn't flow — and they blame the government.



And with the war nearing its fifth anniversary, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is feeling the discontent as well from the most powerful political centers in the majority Shiite community.

It's a pincer movement of domestic anger that yet again could threaten al-Maliki's hold on his Green Zone office.

"Where's the kerosene and the water?" asked Amjad Kazim, a 56-year-old Shiite who lives in eastern Baghdad. "We hear a lot of promises but we see nothing."

Little kerosene is available on the state-run market at the subsidized price of $0.52 a gallon. But the fuel can be found on the black market, where it goes for more than $3.79 a gallon.

Overnight temperatures since the first of the year have routinely fallen below freezing when normally they only dip into the upper 30s Fahrenheit.

An average household needs at least 1.32 gallons a day to stay warm, which translates into a monthly expense of $150, or half what an average Iraqi earns.

"I have had no electricity for a week, and I cannot afford to buy it from neighborhood generators," said Hamdiyah Subeih, a 42-year-old homemaker from Baghdad's Shiite Baladiyat district. "I would rather live in Saddam Hussein's hell than the paradise of these new leaders."

Even during the shortages of last summer's heat, most Iraqi's were counting on electricity for air conditioners, fans and refrigeration about half the day. Now it's off for days at a stretch in many areas and on only a few hours daily on average, residents say.

"My children are so happy when the power comes back on they dance," said Marwan Ouni, a 34-year-old college teacher from Tikrit, Saddam's hometown north of Baghdad. "For me, the nonstop power cuts have made my life tedious. It's depressing."

That's the view from below, despite a considerable reduction in violence across the country. The view among those who hold power here is growing equally bilious.

Stinging criticism late last week from Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of parliament's largest Shiite bloc, was a stark break with the past. And a threat by Muqtada al-Sadr, the maverick Shiite cleric who once supported al-Maliki, not to renew an expiring six-month cease-fire he imposed on his feared militia could upend recent security progress.

In admonishing tones, al-Hakim called on the government and parliament not to be "entirely focused on political rivalries at the expense of the everyday problems faced by Iraqis." He also demanded that lawmakers quickly adopt key legislation divvying up the country's oil wealth and setting the rules for provincial elections to be held later this year.

He spoke of administrative and financial corruption, saying Iraqis were now forced to pay bribes to get business done with ministries and government agencies.

"It makes one's heart bleed ... it's a violation of man's freedom and dignity," he told tens of thousands of supporters in Baghdad on Friday.

Al-Hakim's harsh words carry considerable weight because his party, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, is al-Maliki's most important backer after al-Sadr pulled ministers loyal to him from the Cabinet last year and took his 30 lawmakers out of the Shiite bloc.

Al-Hakim's focus on the daily hardships of most Iraqis finds a ready audience among those struggling to keep warm through one of the coldest winters in years — it snowed across Baghdad for the first time in living memory on Jan. 11. And al-Sadr's huge following among more radical Shiites could close the pincer on al-Maliki.

Source: AP News

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US 'declaration' a setback for Maliki

This from Asia Times. THe US does not seem to understand that being seen as a US puppet is not a positive in most areas of the Middle East. Yet the US continually praises Abbas as if this is going to help Abbas rather than make him look like a puppet in the eyes of many Palestinians. The same is true of this declaration of principles agreed to by Maliki. Maliki is likely to be in deep trouble right away.


US 'declaration' a setback for Maliki
By Sami Moubayed

DAMASCUS - Sometimes, frequently nowadays, one doubts the wisdom of decision-makers in Washington. The case was clear, for example, with Syria and Palestine. When President George W Bush comes out to praise political prisoners in Damascus, he completely ruins their credibility in the Syrian Street, projecting them as stooges for the United States. When he embraces Mahmud Abbas of Palestine, the same impression is made on ordinary Palestinians who immediately write off their president as



a puppet for Washington, making it difficult for him - if not impossible - to discuss peace with Israel.

The situation now applies to Iraq as well.

For four years, the Americans have been pushing for a security breakthrough in Iraq. The White House has been desperate for a "success story" to sell on Iraq to the American public. Chances seemed slim earlier this summer as an increasing number of Iraqi politicians walked out on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. By October, his government had lost legitimacy, since it no longer included Sunnis from the Iraqi Accordance Front or Shi'ites from the Sadrist bloc.

The Americans held on to Maliki, fearing a vacuum if he left. So desperate was the US administration that it began funding and arming Sunni tribesmen in Iraq to combat al-Qaeda. This caused uproar in the Iraqi street, particularly among Iraqi Shi'ites, who claimed that the Sunnis would train their guns on both the Americans and the Shi'ites the minute they were finished fighting al-Qaeda.

They cited how US support for Osama bin Laden backfired the minute he was finished fighting the Soviets in the Soviets in Afghanistan in the late 1980s. When Bush came to Iraq, he had his picture taken with Abdul-Sattar Abu Risheh, one of the cooperative Sunni tribal leaders. Maliki described him as a "national hero". Seventy-two hours later, Vice President Tarek al-Hashemi announced a "reward" (or as some would say punishment) for the Sunni provinces working against al-Qaeda.

A total of US$84 million would go to the reconstruction of Ramadi, with an additional $50 million in compensation for its residents, along with 6,000 job opportunities. Shortly afterwards, Abu Risheh was assassinated near his home in Ramadi. Maliki blamed al-Qaeda. It was a clear message as to how far the militants were willing to go to punish anybody working with the Americans. Abu Risheh had not only fought al-Qaeda, but lobbied relentlessly with government authorities to amend the de-Ba'athification laws that targeted the Sunni community, and restore senior Sunnis to posts in the Iraqi army. Without him, Maliki - and Bush - have one less friend in Iraq.

And now, the Americans have done the same thing to Maliki. Over the past 15 days, a lot of positive news came in from Baghdad. One was a significant improvement in local security, estimated by Maliki at 77% better. Cafes - abandoned by night since 2003 - were once again swarming with Iraqis, thanks to the improved security situation. An estimated 1,000 Iraqis were returning to Iraq per day from neighboring Syria, thanks to better security.

The reasons varied. One was improved US and Iraqi patrolling of Baghdad. Another was a pledge by Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to bring all military activities of his Mahdi Army to a six-month halt. He had been accused of creating major disturbances in Sunni districts. Also, armed Sunni militiamen (working with the Americans) were able to keep al-Qaeda at bay during the months of September-November. Maliki seemed to be doing increasingly well.

The Iraqi Accordance Front, a Sunni bloc with 44 seats in Parliament (out of 275) agreed to reduce its demands and restore its six ministers to the Maliki cabinet. The Sadrists decided to end their decades-long animosity with the Supreme Iraqi Council (SIIC) that is headed by Muqtada's archenemy, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. Both groups, who control all Shi'ite militiamen in Iraq, forgot their rivalry for Shi'ite dominance and decided to unite in order to bring stability and security to Iraq.

There was even speculation that Muqtada would restore his ministers to the Maliki cabinet when and if the Accordance Front withdrew its August resignations. Iran, which has been accused by the United States of funding terrorism in Iraq, had seemingly also decided to cooperate and reduce violence.

Things seemed rosy for Maliki, until this week, when Bush convinced him to sign a "declaration of principles" with the United States. Among other things, the declaration pledged to disarm all militias in Iraq, without naming them, and fire all militiamen who had joined the police and security forces under the nose of the Maliki government.

Blackwater must go: al Maliki

This is interesting. Does Maliki thinks he has the power to oust Blackwater. He has already lost out earlier when he caved in and decided that they could operate until a joint investigation finished. Maliki has demanded that an Iranian seized in Kurdistan and others too seized long ago be released. Nothing has happened. The US simply ignores him.
Of course the Iraqi people no doubt feel the insult to their sovereignty. But the US seems not to worry about such results.

Iraq PM says 'unfit' Blackwater must go
22 hours ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Wednesday that Blackwater should leave the country because of the mountain of evidence against the under-fire US security firm.

His comments came amid growing anger among Iraqis that "above-the-law" security contractors are continuing to operate in Iraq while Blackwater is being probed over a deadly shooting 17 days ago.

"I believe the abundance of evidence against it makes it unfit to stay in Iraq," Maliki told a televised press conference in Baghdad.

A New York Times report on Wednesday citing witnesses, Iraqi investigators and a US official said that as many as 17 people were killed and 24 wounded when Blackwater employees opened fire in central Baghdad on September 16.

Blackwater maintains its men were legitimately responding to an ambush while protecting a US State Department convoy but they are accused of firing into crowded Nisoor Square indiscriminately.

Immediately after the incident, in which at least 10 people were confirmed killed, Maliki said Washington should replace Blackwater forthwith.

He later backed down and agreed to await the outcome of investigations.

A member of the Shiite ruling coalition, Amira al-Baldawi, told AFP: "Some foreign companies believe they are above the Iraqi law."

Baghdad lawyer Hassan Shaaban said the firm should have been shut down at least until investigators had finished their work.

"This company should halt its work until investigations are over," he said. "There should have been an investigation into the Nisoor Square event before a decision was taken to say if they should continue working in Iraq or not."

Three investigations have been called by the US State Department, whose staff Blackwater was protecting during the shootings, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called for a "360-degree" look at the events.

The US Defence Department, which also employs hired guns from Blackwater to protect a number of its personnel, has launched a fourth inquiry.

"As far as the law is concerned, if the probes prove they are responsible for the incident they should be expelled in accordance with Iraqi law," said Hassan.

"They are not an army neither US armed forces. They merely present company services and consequently any violation on the land of Iraq should be subject to the Iraqi judiciary."

Blackwater boss, ex-Navy SEAL Erik Prince, denied at a hearing before Congress on Tuesday that his staff ran riot like "cowboys" after a Congressional report suggested the company's security teams in Iraq are out of control.

A committee report found that Blackwater, which protects US diplomats and visiting dignitaries, had been involved in nearly 200 shootings in Iraq since 2005, and accused it of covering up fatal shootings involving its staff.

In one incident cited by the committee, a drunken Blackwater employee shot and killed a guard of Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdel Mahdi.

Widening rift between Maliki and Sadr group

I just wonder how long Maliki's govt. will be able to survive. There are more and more defections and even plans it seems to have a vote of non-confidence. So far the US does not support opposition groups or says it doesn't!

Rift between Sadr bloc and Iraqi PM widens
08 Jul 2007 15:47:54 GMT
Source: Reuters
Al


BAGHDAD, July 8 (Reuters) - A powerful Shi'ite bloc lashed out at Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday after he accused it of failing to take a clear stance on violence, signalling a deepening rift between Maliki and a former backer.

Followers from the movement of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose support propelled Maliki into the prime minister's office last year, also held street protests in Baghdad in the wake of the Iraqi leader's comments on Saturday.

"This government is at the edge of an abyss. It will collapse," said Ahmed al-Shaibany, a prominent cleric and member of Sadr's inner circle of advisers.

"Maliki ... wants to send a message to the (U.S.) occupiers: 'I can implement your requests' ... We tell you that you are committing a mistake," he said in a statement.

Another top Sadr aide made similar comments in a statement.

Maliki, himself a Shi'ite, on Saturday demanded the Sadr bloc take a clear stance against rogue elements within the movement's Mehdi Army militia that Washington blames for killing U.S. troops.

Maliki's comments came in the wake of fighting between the Mehdi Army and Iraqi security forces that has killed dozens of people in recent weeks in the relatively calm southern cities of Nassiriya, Diwaniya and Samawa.

The Sadr bloc pulled its six ministers out of Maliki's cabinet in April when the prime minister refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

It has also boycotted parliament since an attack on a revered Shi'ite mosque last month in the city of Samarra and most recently rejected a landmark draft oil law.

The youthful Sadr has huge appeal among Iraq's Shi'ite masses but since the start of a U.S.-backed security crackdown in February he has largely disappeared from public view.

Earlier this year, U.S. officials said Sadr was hiding in Iran, although his aides say he never left Iraq. Analysts have speculated he had returned to reassert his authority over his militia, which the U.S. military says has begun fragmenting into splinter groups.

Sadr led two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004.

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Oil law key to US support for Maliki

Wednesday, March 14, 2007


Oil law key to US support for Iraq government: Maliki associates
Joshua Pantesco at 12:01 PM ET

Some other sources have denied that US support is dependent on the oil law passing but it seems it is. If Maliki does not do what the US wants he will find himself out of a job and replaced.



[JURIST] Passage of a draft law aimed at dividing oil proceeds among various religious and ethnic groups in Iraq is critical to continued US support of the current Iraqi government, associates of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki [BBC profile] told AP Tuesday. The draft oil law [JURIST report] approved by the Iraqi cabinet [JURIST report] in late February is now before the Iraqi National Assembly [official website, in English] for revisions and ratification. Negotiations have been a source of tension [JURIST report] for months in Iraq [JURIST news archive] as many Kurds and Shiites want to retain control of Iraq's oil resources [Global Policy backgrounder] in their areas, while Sunni Arabs, who do not dominate the oil-rich regions of the country, have insisted on central oversight.

Maliki confidants also indicated that the US is pushing for a "secular and inclusive" Iraqi government that Sunni-dominated countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, will find more favorable than the current Shiite-dominated regime

Two key Iraqi parties oppose new oil law

This will be a problem for Maliki. Maliki seems to be getting into serious trouble and has not been decisive as yet.


Two key Iraq parties oppose oil law
BAGHDAD, March 13 (UPI) -- Two Iraqi political parties, including one of the former prime minister, said the draft hydrocarbons law should be tabled until the security situation improves.

"We believe that the time is not right for dealing with this issue. We should, above all, deal with security matters before debating this draft," said Hussein al-Falluji, a member of Parliament representing the Iraqi Accordance Front, a Sunni party.

"Socio-political and security circumstances do not allow such a step now, as the draft would allow investment companies to re-wield power over Iraqi oil," Falluji told the Voices of Iraq news agency.

After nearly a year of debate, negotiators from the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed to a tentative law governing the country's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves.

If approved, the law will outline control over oil development and how revenue is distributed. It has, however, been criticized for being too generous to private, foreign companies.

The Iraqi National Slate, the party of former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has also objected to the law.

The oil sector has been hampered in large part due to violence in Iraq, though the war, U.N. sanctions and mismanagement under Saddam Hussein are also contributing factors

Maliki presses for oil law to be passed.

Maliki has not yet shuffled his cabinet and there is no word about when the oil bill will be passed through parliament. It seems as if there are schemes behind the scenes that foresee his fall and replacement. He knows that he must meet the benchmarks set by the US or he is probably doomed. He may be anyway.


Maliki urges regulation of Iraq's oil wealth



Baghdad - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki fears the Americans will torpedo his government if parliament does not pass a law to fairly divvy up the country's oil wealth among Iraqis by the end of June, close associates of the leader told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The legislature has not even taken up the draft measure, which is only one of several US benchmarks that are seen by al-Maliki as key to continued American support, a crucial need for the survival of his troubled administration.

US State Department spokesperson Tom Casey denied the administration would withdraw support. "The notion that we have in any way shape or form threatened to bring down his government over this law is simply untrue," he said in Washington.

Aside from the oil law, the associates said, American officials have told the hardline Shi'a Muslim prime minister that they want an Iraqi government in place by year's end acceptable to the country's Sunni Arab neighbours, particularly Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

'The oil law has not moved forward'
"They have said it must be secular and inclusive," one al-Maliki associate said.

To that end, al-Maliki made an unannounced visit Tuesday to Ramadi, the Sunni Arab insurgent stronghold, to meet with tribal leaders, the provincial governor and security chiefs in a bid to signal his willingness for reconciliation to end the bitter sectarian war that has riven Iraq for more than a year.

Compounding al-Maliki's fears about a withdrawal of American support were visits to Saudi Arabia by two key political figures in an admitted bid to win support for a major Iraqi political realignment. Saudi Arabia is a major US ally and oil supplier.

Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a Shi'a Muslim, flew to the Saudi capital Tuesday, a day after the arrival there of Masoud Barzani, leader of Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdish region. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims.

"Allawi is there to enlist support for a new political front that rises above sectarian structures now in place," the former prime minister's spokesperson, Izzat al-Shahbandar, told the AP.

'Too much possible foreign involvement and profit sharing'
Barzani spokesperson Abdul-Khaleq Zanganah said the two Iraqis met in Kurdistan before the trip for talks on forming a "national front to take over for the political bloc now supporting al-Maliki."

It appears certain the United States was informed about the Allawi and Barzani opening to the Saudis, who are deeply concerned that al-Maliki could become a puppet of Iran, the Shi'a theocracy on Iraq's eastern border they view as a threat to the region's stability.

Washington has been reported to be working more closely with Sunni Arab governments to encourage them to take a greater role in Iraq, particularly in reining in the Sunni insurgency that has killed thousands of US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi Shi'as.

The Bush administration is believed to be trying to win support for its operations in Iraq among Arab neighbours by assuring a greater future role for the Sunni minority that ran the country until the US invasion ousted Saddam Hussein four years ago.

One al-Maliki confidant said the Americans had voiced displeasure with the prime minister's government even though he has managed so far to blunt major resistance from the Mahdi Army militia to the joint US-Iraqi security operation in Baghdad. The Shi'a militia is loyal to anti-Us cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose political backing secured the premiership for al-Maliki.

"They have said they are frustrated that he has done nothing to oust the Sadrists, that the oil law has not moved forward, that there is no genuine effort on reconciliation and no movement on new regional elections," said the official, who like the other associates agreed to discuss the situation only if not quoted by name because of the political sensitivities.

Passage of the oil law, which seeks a fair distribution of revenues among all Iraq's sectarian and ethnic groups, has become a major issue for the United States, which had initially counted on financing Iraq's post-invasion reconstruction with oil revenues.

But the decrepit oil infrastructure and violence have left the country producing oil at about the same levels as before the war, at best, and those figures are well below production before the 1991 Gulf War that resulted in UN sanctions against the Iraqi oil industry.

The major Sunni bloc in parliament, along with Allawi loyalists in the Shi'a bloc, openly oppose the draft measure. Al-Maliki also has lost the backing of the Shi'a Fadila Party, and independent Shi'a members are split on the bill. Those willing to speak about their opposition voice fears about what they see as too much possible foreign involvement and profit sharing.

The al-Maliki associates said US officials, who they would not name, told the prime minister that US President George Bush was committed to the current government but continued White House support depended on positive action on all the benchmarks - especially the oil law and sectarian reconciliation - by the close of this parliamentary session June 30.

"Al-Maliki is committed to meeting the deadline because he is convinced he would not survive in power without US support," one of the associates said.

Casey, the US spokesperson, noted that the oil law is a goal laid out in the Iraqi constitution and repeatedly endorsed by al-Maliki. "However, the terms of that law, the specifics of that law are up to the Iraqis," he said.

Standing in the way of forward movement is a recalcitrant Cabinet, which al-Maliki has promised to reshuffle by the end of this week. So far, however, he is at loggerheads with the political groupings in parliament that are threatening to withdraw support for the prime minister if he does not allow the blocs to name replacements for Cabinet positions. - Sapa-AP

Maliki's cabinet shuffle and Al Sadr

This is exercerpted from Juan Cole's Website.
According to a commentator there are provisions to replace a member of parliament. The faction from which the member comes appoints a replacement. If this is true then al Maliki will not be able to push through the oil law simply by locking up Sadrists and others who oppose the law unless he can do that within the time frame in which the missing MPs must be replaced. In any event I expect that reaction to jailing MPs or even dismissing cabinet members may be such that Maliki's government will fall anyway.

Parliamentarians from the Sadr Bloc vowed that they would resist Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's plans to dismiss 5 out of 6 cabinet ministers from their party. The Sadrists have 32 seats in the Iraqi legislature, and their support was key to the election of al-Maliki last spring.

KarbalaNews.net reports in Arabic that al-Maliki gave an interview in which he said that high judicial authorities are preparing indictments against members of parliament for involvement in militia and death squad activity. Maybe al-Maliki thinks he does not need the Sadrist MPs because so many of them will soon be in prison.

Indeed, the scale of the indictments against sitting Iraqi representatives and officials hinted at by al-Maliki suggests a judicial coup.

Given that Sunni and Sadrist MPs have been loudest in denouncing the new oil law, if large numbers of them were incarcerated, it would also make it easier for al-Maliki to get the legislation enacted.

There are no mechanisms for by-elections to the Iraqi parliament to my knowledge, so that the parliamentarians that are arrested will likely not be replaced until late 2009. The arrests could dramatically alter the relative proportion of representatives of various communities. No Kurds will be arrested, since their Peshmerga militia has been legalized, so their bloc will be strengthen