Iraq Issues Arrest Warrant for Sunni VP on Terrorism Charges
- Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:11pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
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BAGHDAD (The Blaze/AP) — Iraq’s Shiite-led government issued an arrest warrant Monday for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, the country’s highest ranking Sunni official and an outspoken critic of the prime minister, on terrorism charges.
The move, a day after the last American troops left Iraq and ended the nearly nine-year U.S. war, signaled a sharp new escalation in sectarian tensions that drove Iraq to the brink of civil war just a few years ago.
Interior Ministry spokesman Adil Daham told reporters about the warrant and state-run television aired what it characterized as confessions by alleged terrorists held by the Interior Ministry who were said to be linked to al-Hashemi. They claimed they received orders from him to attack government officials and police officers.
“An arrest warrant has been issued against Vice President al-Hashemi under the terrorism law and five judges have signed this warrant,” said Daham as he waved a copy of the order. On Sunday, judges investigating al-Hashemi’s bodyguards over the alleged attacks banned the vice president from traveling outside of Iraq.
Al-Hashemi and Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are old rivals, and the arrest order appears to be politically motivated.
Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated Baath party regime, the Sunni minority has constantly complained of attempts by the Shiite majority to sideline them.
Al-Hashemi is one of the leaders of the Sunni-backed political bloc Iraqiya, suspended its participation in parliament on Saturday to protest the control of key posts by al-Maliki.
The boycott by Iraqiya, headed by Ayad Allawi, was in response to the government’s failure to share more powers, particularly the authorities that control security forces, said Sunni lawmaker Hamid al-Mutlaq, a member of the bloc.
Iraqiya narrowly won the most seats in last year’s parliamentary election, but Allawi was outmaneuvered by al-Maliki, who kept the premier’s post after cobbling together key support from other Shiite parties.
For more than a year now, al-Maliki has effectively controlled the Interior and Defense Ministries, which oversee the police and military, while conflicts between Sunni and Shiite politicians have delayed the appointment of permanent ministers.
The crisis is a reminder that the U.S. left behind an Iraq still riven by sectarian division. The United States completed its withdrawal from the country early Sunday, with the last troops crossing the border into neighboring Kuwait.
Al-Mutlaq warned that Iraqiya could take a further step if its demands are not met – pulling its seven ministers out of al-Maliki’s coalition government.
In a statement issued Saturday, Iraiqiya criticized the “unjustified” random arrests conducted by the government’s security forces against Sunni areas.
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Comments (58)
Depressed_American
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 9:03pmWell!!! They didn’t waste any time did they, ONE WHOLE DAY before the country disolves into civil war!!!
Way to go President Obama, You got your campaign slogan though!!!
Report Post »THE COMING
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:02amDepressed-American, your name says it all, and I am afraid it is going to get a lot worse.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 8:42pmIts just a matter of time until they are in a civil war over there ???
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 8:34pm“IRAQ ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR SUNNI VP ON TERRORISM CHARGES”
Report Post »God, religion sucks.
barber2
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:52pmObama did not support the surge. The Left disrespected the military with that “General Betrayus ” moniker. The Democrats couldn’t wait to pull us out…military advice or not. Just another example of the Big Lies and dysfunctional policies of the current Democrats.
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:59pmSadly, the Iraq war will turn out to be the biggest policy mistake in modern history.
Report Post »They’re already resorting to suppressing the minority, and will team up with their Shiite brothers in Iran.
Boondoggle is too mild of a word to describe the waste and human suffering of this war.
TOMMYSURIA
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:49pmOne day out of that %#%# hole and they are already starting some $#%#%…???
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:36pmYou sound a little unhinged. Troll on…
Report Post »Rightsofman
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:19pmHeeeeere we go!
Report Post »Defender
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:04pmThis man has been charged with Article 4 Terrorism several times. This happens in Iraq all the time. They use Article 4 for political gain. The problem with the law is that it is to broad… kinda like our Patriot Act.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:56pmMaybe these dysfunctional men had the government they deserved under Saddam. They , like their religion, are basically intolerant . Apparently, they need to be strictly controlled . Democracy and the Sunni / Shiite Islam divide do not seem compatible. They need a longer political evolution..
Report Post »Publius Novus
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:48pmYou haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until Iran gets involved over there and the Sunni v. Shia hits the fan. All those Trillions of dollars and not so much as a “Thank you, we’re now going to give you oil @ 1/2 price until we pay you back, in full, for all the blood and treasure you spilled on our soil for our freedom”. This will be the current administrations undoing. Once American’s see this place go back to hell in a hand-basket, it’s over for them and it will happen before spring time. They’re either to stupid or to naive to see it. Then again the media probably won‘t cover it just like what’s really happening in the rest of the Mid East & North Africa.
Report Post »Depressed_American
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 9:12pmYou are absolutely right! Once Iran gets involved to support the Shia, then Saudi Arabia will get involved to support the Suni’s, and then the Middle East is inflamed in war. Congratulations again Mr. President, but you have your CAMPAIGN SLOGAN!!!!!
Report Post »Depressed_American
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 9:13pmThat Canadian Oil Pipeline deal is looking pretty good right about now, don’t you think Mr. President!!!
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 10:33pmSo does restarting the drilling in the Gulf, shale mining, nuclear, and drilling in more areas at home.
Report Post »Mutantone
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 3:14pmAnd Iran is not already involved in the unrest? naw that would make them bad guys
Report Post »Publius Novus
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:10pmShould have said when the Shiite hits the fan. Seriously, the regime in Iran will become a model for all of these Arab Spring nations. The current administration had a chance to help to overthrow the government when sane people in Iran had an uprising. The chose not to get involved and yet they are all over Libya & Egypt and soon to be Syria all “Leading from behind”. What hypocrites. 2012 can’t come soon enough & I say to you all that whoever gets the GOP nod, vote for them-even if you have to hold your nose to do it. Any one of them would be better than what we have now.
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:43pmwhat 24 hours since we “offically are out” that the sectarian arrest….. did anyone think differnent. instead of saddam HUSSAIN we’ll just get another kinda HUSSAIN…….. b. HUSSAIN o. really dropped the ball
Report Post »Mtremblay
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:32pmI am already sick and tired of the “cheers” about the US leaving Iraq. The War is NOT over. The last soldier has NOT left Iraq: SSgt Ahmed Kousay Altaie has been missing in Iraq since 2006 with a video surfacing of him in 2007 in which he was still alive. It would be nice if the news or how about the Commander in Chief (choking that down) would make at least some kind of mention on the news instead of worrying about an election point!
Report Post »Mtremblay
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:38pmOops double post
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:50pmHere we go, the US has established a Police State in Iraq and it is already claiming a whopper of a catch… which just happens to be of the opposite party… how convenient.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:29pmNow maybe everyone will see the truth. As soon as we leave these countries behind with the blood of our patriots and billions of our tax payers dollars, they will all revert back to the way they were. Bring them all home!
Report Post »Mtremblay
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:34pmI am already sick and tired of the “cheers” about the US leaving Iraq. The War is NOT over. The last soldier has NOT left Iraq: SSgt Ahmed Kousay Altaie has been missing in Iraq since 2006 with a video surfacing of him in 2007 in which he was still alive. It would be nice if the news or how about the Commander in Chief (choking that down) would make at least some kind of mention.
Report Post »Marsh626
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:22pmBoth Iraq and Afghanistan are heading towards civil wars it seems.
Report Post »Defender
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:09pmI give it 6 months to a year before the SHTF there.
Report Post »T-2
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:13pmhere comes the further of America…I can see the headlines now….“POTUS Issues Arrest Warrant for Tea Parties on Terrorism Charges”
Report Post »Arizona Don
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:08pmI’d like to read there’s an arrest warrant out for obama, wouldn’t you?
Report Post »mrfunn
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:00pmHope your wrong
Report Post »lol
mrfunn
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:45pmIt was a very quiet ending to a war.
Report Post »Was there a heads up on this?
hidden_lion
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:06pmYeah, it was part of the agreement signed by Pres. Bush before he left office.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:35pmit makes you wonder again if a country like that can really be turned into a civilized one .
Report Post »That’s why we need to forget about Afghanistan & bring back our military .
Delta D-5-3
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:46pmYep, that didn’t take long. Makes ya wonder how long before Iran moves in. I’ll give it 6 months, and that’s being generous………
Report Post »thekuligs
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:07pmThey don’t want to be civalized. They want to kill eachother, and I say we should let them.
Report Post »Arizona Don
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:32pmWho besides the current administration did not see this coming?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:39pmWhat took so long?
Report Post »honor007
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:29pmObama owns this story. period.
Report Post »4X4in
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:27pmWonder what it will be like by Friday?
Report Post »lilmacs
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:25pmJust the beginning. Yet we decided to keep our warriors in the pile of rocks that has never been “conquered” and pulled out of the place sitting on our life blood petroleum?
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:19pmWell now will obama blame this on Bush
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:41pmSadly .. that is exactly what he (and the MSM) will try.
Notice they (Reid, Pelosi, MSM) are saying that the House doesn’t want people to have a tax break … when it is the House that passed it for a year .. the Democrat Senate only 2 months. Truth doesn’t matter to the MSM .. only what they can say enough to make people believe.
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:16pmWell that didn’t take long. The last planes carrying our troops out have barely left the ground and they’re already fighting each other.
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