Analysis: Political differences threaten country's reconciliation plan

The status of thousands of prisoners in Iraq who claim they are incarcerated for political reasons is holding up progress on the country's national reconciliation plan, according to Sunni leaders demanding their pardon and release.

"Anyone who has not been convicted should be released immediately. The only exception would be for those accused of non-political crimes, kidnappings and killings," said Adnan al-Dulaimi, the head of the country's largest Sunni political block with 44 seats in parliament.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's 24-point reconciliation plan, launched on 25 June this year, promised to pardon detainees who were not involved in terrorist crimes and actions, and war crimes or crimes against humanity. It also promised that committees would be formed to review the files of the detainees so as to release the innocent as fast as possible.

"For more than three months none of that happened and the reconciliation committee has come to a halt," said Abdul-Ghafar Mohamed Salman, a Baghdad-based political analyst and professor at Baghdad University's college of political sciences. "And this will put more obstacles in the road of the reconciliation plan."

Differences emerged immediately between top Shi'ite and Sunni officials over amnesty for insurgents after the governmental committee, formed to reconcile Iraq's sectarian and political groups, held its first meeting on 22 July. Sunni groups said that all insurgent fighters were only resisting an occupying force and so deserve amnesty.

The Supreme National Committee for Reconciliation and National Dialogue convened behind the blast walls and barbed wire of the heavily guarded Green Zone, with Al-Maliki and other dignitaries in attendance.

After the meeting, Al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, told reporters that despite his proposal for amnesty for some insurgents, "all those whose hands were tainted with blood should be brought to justice."

However, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the Sunni speaker of parliament, responded quickly saying "if we punish a person who killed an American soldier, who is an occupier, we should punish the American soldiers who killed an Iraqi who fought against occupation."

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