Sunni leader warns sectarian conflicts dividing Iraq into smaller countries
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – In the latest warning of its kind, a prominent Sunni politician warned that persistent sectarian fighting is pushing Iraq toward splintering into smaller countries.
Salih Mutlaq, a deputy prime minister of Iraq who lost his job under government austerity measures, accused the Shiite-led administration in Baghdad of incompetence, saying it was unable to manage the country.
If sectarian conflicts escalate, "Iraq will face a huge calamity and will be divided into small countries. That would result in (the breakout of) war," said Mutlaq.
Pointing to the Shiite Basra province in the south where there are growing calls for autonomy, Mutlaq said that Shiite areas also had problems with the government. He said that is why many Shiite tribes have taken up arms.
"In the Shiite provinces, not only light, but rather heavy weapons and long-range artillery" is owned by the people, he claimed.
Pointing to what he said is another example of discrimination by the Shiite government, Mutlaq said that in the Sunni provinces people "cannot hold weapons, they cannot even have hunting rifles to defend them."
Meanwhile, in his latest comments Mohammed Ali Jafari, commander of Shiite Iran´s Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, stressed that his country would foil any plot by the US and Israel to divide war-torn Syria or Iraq.
Commenting on demographic shifts in Iraq´s Sunni-dominated regions, Mutlaq said: "we warned a while back that there is a visible shift toward changing the demography of certain (Sunni) areas in Iraq.¨
Ammar Taama, head of the Shiite Fadhila faction in the Iraqi parliament, denied there had been any moves to change the demography of Iraq´s Sunni areas.
He admitted there had been "some aggression against Sunni mosques and residential areas.¨ But he added: "those who have committed crimes should go before the court and serve their punishment."
Salih Mutlaq, a deputy prime minister of Iraq who lost his job under government austerity measures, accused the Shiite-led administration in Baghdad of incompetence, saying it was unable to manage the country.
If sectarian conflicts escalate, "Iraq will face a huge calamity and will be divided into small countries. That would result in (the breakout of) war," said Mutlaq.
Pointing to the Shiite Basra province in the south where there are growing calls for autonomy, Mutlaq said that Shiite areas also had problems with the government. He said that is why many Shiite tribes have taken up arms.
"In the Shiite provinces, not only light, but rather heavy weapons and long-range artillery" is owned by the people, he claimed.
Pointing to what he said is another example of discrimination by the Shiite government, Mutlaq said that in the Sunni provinces people "cannot hold weapons, they cannot even have hunting rifles to defend them."
Meanwhile, in his latest comments Mohammed Ali Jafari, commander of Shiite Iran´s Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, stressed that his country would foil any plot by the US and Israel to divide war-torn Syria or Iraq.
Commenting on demographic shifts in Iraq´s Sunni-dominated regions, Mutlaq said: "we warned a while back that there is a visible shift toward changing the demography of certain (Sunni) areas in Iraq.¨
Ammar Taama, head of the Shiite Fadhila faction in the Iraqi parliament, denied there had been any moves to change the demography of Iraq´s Sunni areas.
He admitted there had been "some aggression against Sunni mosques and residential areas.¨ But he added: "those who have committed crimes should go before the court and serve their punishment."