Home / International / Opinion Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Sadr standoff turns political but unlikely leads to peaceful exit
Adjust font size:

The standoff between al-Sadr's followers and the U.S.-backed Iraqi government has turned political but is unlikely to lead to any peaceful exit, since political disputes on stage are still deeply rooted and an all-out military showdown otherwise looms ahead.

The face-off began after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in late March ordered a major crackdown on "outlawed" militia in Basra, triggering fierce clashes between Sadr's Mahdi Army and Iraqi security forces. The clashes later spread to other cities in the Shiite south and to Baghdad, where U.S. and Iraqi security forces are still fighting militants in the Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City.

Though sporadic firefights continued after a reportedly Iranian- brokered ceasefire in early April, the focal point of the deadlock turns political when PM Maliki threatened Sadr and his followers to disband his militia or will be barred from politics and the upcoming provincial elections.

Maliki, a Shiite, managed to line up the Sunni and Kurd blocs against the Sadrists. His cabinet later approved a draft law banning parties with militia from participating in the provincial elections and submitted it to the parliament where Maliki would probably enjoy a majority.

Maliki's moves brought surface the deep-rooted disputes between his Shiite ruling bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), and the Sadrists, who quit the government last April on Maliki's refusal to demand a timetable for foreign troops' withdrawal from Iraq.

Many Sadrists view Maliki's crackdown as a means to eliminate his Shiite rivals, mainly the Sadrists, as political forces in Shiite-dominated southern Iraq before the provincial elections, and to facilitate the political benchmarks set by the U.S. administration.

"What happened is nothing but political liquidation," Maha al- Douri, a female Shiite lawmaker from the Sadr movement told Xinhua recently.

"So that the government could pass controversial laws such as federalism, oil and gas laws and the long-term security agreement with the United States, which would guarantee long presence of the U.S. occupation troops in Iraq," she said.

All of these drafts are strongly opposed by the Sadrists, which hold 30 seats in the 275-seat parliament.

Moreover, disbanding militia seems unjust in most Sadrists' eyes. Most Iraqi parties maintain ties with armed groups. Many of these militia have been enrolled into the army or police while still maintain links with their political sponsors.

1   2    


Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Iraq's Sadr threatens 'open war'
- Sadr offers truce to ease Iraqi crisis
- Sadr extends ceasefire to boost political role
- US troops kill up to 49 in Baghdad's Sadr City
- Gates: Sadr Bloc's Quit Might Be Positive
- Iraq's Sadr Bloc Withdraws from Government
- US Military: Iraq Radical Cleric Sadr in Iran
Most Viewed >>
- Pakistani President, PM meet Chinese FM
- Japanese PM's visit improves ties with Russia
- Dobriansky's meeting with Dalai Lama extremely wrong: FM
- French Senate chief visits attacked torchbearer
- German foundation behind anti-China protests
> Korean Nuclear Talks
> Reconstruction of Iraq
> Middle East Peace Process
> Iran Nuclear Issue
> 6th SCO Summit Meeting
Links
- China Development Gateway
- Foreign Ministry
- Network of East Asian Think-Tanks
- China-EU Association
- China-Africa Business Council
- China Foreign Affairs University
- University of International Relations
- Institute of World Economics & Politics
- Institute of Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies
- Institute of West Asian & African Studies
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
- Institute of Japanese Studies