Maliki announces new political alliance; Sunnis not included

Above: The major players -- Nuri al-Maliki (Prime Minister, Shiite), Tariq al-Hashemi (one of two Vice Presidents, Sunni), Moqtada al-Sadr ('fiery' anti-American cleric, Shiite), Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim (head of the largest Shiite coalition), Jalal Talabani (President of Iraq, Kurd, Qadiri Sufi sect of Sunnism), and Massoud Barzani (President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Naqshbandi Sufi sect of Sunnisim). The largest Sunni bloc recently returned to parliament after Mahmud Mashhadani was reinstated as speaker, but has withdrawn its cabinet ministers from Maliki's cabinet. Sadr's parliamentary bloc also returned recently to the legislature following a protest of the most recent bombing of the al-Askari shrine in Samarra, but also withdrew from the cabinet in April. The U.S. military has said that Sadr is back in Iran, which Sadr's aides deny. Not pictured is former Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, whose smaller Sunni bloc is boycotting cabinet meetings.

Iraqi Leaders Announce Deal On Political Alliance

The Iraqi president and prime minister today announced a new alliance of moderate Shi'ites and Kurds, but said Sunni moderates have so far refused to join.

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said the agreement might help to resolve the current political crisis in Iraq, adding that Sunnis are still welcome to join the new alliance. He said the agreement "was not struck in the interests of the signing parties, but in those of the Iraqi people and the government of national unity."

The announcement comes after days of political negotiations, which were boycotted by Sunni representatives.

The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been struggling to overcome the current crisis since the largest Sunni Muslim bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front, and other ministers withdrew from the cabinet, leaving half the seats empty.

Al-Maliki this week called for a high-level summit of senior leaders from all the factions, but Sunni leaders have so far refused to participate.

From RFE

Iraqi Shi'ite, Kurdish Leaders Form Alliance, Sunnis Stay Out

Iraq's prime minister and president have announced a new political alliance of mainstream Shi'ite and Kurdish parties that does not include any Sunni groups.

Iraq's Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Kurdish President Jalal Talabani unveiled the partnership Thursday at a news conference in Baghdad.

Mr. Talabani said his Sunni deputy, Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, refused to join the group. But the president said the door remains open.

Hashemi's Iraqi Accordance Front is the main Sunni bloc in parliament. Its withdrawal from Mr. Maliki's Cabinet earlier this month left his unity government in crisis.

The Shi'ite members of the new alliance include Mr. Maliki's Dawa Party and the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, SIIC, of Vice President Adel Abdel-Mahdi.

The alliance also includes two Kurdish factions - Mr. Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and the Kurdish Democratic Party, PDK, of Massoud Barzani.

From VOA

New Iraq alliance formed to back shaky government

Iraqi Kurdish and Shi'ite leaders formed an alliance on Thursday to support Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, but failed to bring in Sunni leaders who are crucial to national reconciliation...

U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said the alliance would not be able to solve the country's problems on its own.

"The major problems confronting the country, the reasons that brought the leadership together are the kinds of thing that are going to have to be solved by Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurds," Crocker told Reuters. "This is a Kurdish-Shi'ite grouping.

"It certainly seems to me that by itself it is not going to be able to get at some of these core difficulties."

Talks to form an alliance began last year with the Islamic Party but broke down over its demand that it be given a greater say in security matters.

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

Sunnis reject new push for Iraq alliance

The Iraqi prime minister and president announced a new alliance of moderate Shiites and Kurds in a push to save the crumbing government Thursday, saying a key Sunni bloc refused to join but the door remained open to them...

Maliki has been criticized for having a Shiite bias and failing to stop sectarian violence, which persists despite the presence of tens of thousands of extra U.S. troops.

"This agreement is a first step," Maliki said. "It is not final and the door is still open for all who agree with us on the need to push the political process forward."

At the news conference announcing the political accord, Maliki was flanked by President Jalal Talabani, the leader of the northern autonomous Kurdish region; Massoud Barzani, an elder statesman; and Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite.

The four men signed a three-page agreement that they said ensures them a majority in the 275-member Parliament that would allow action on legislation demanded by the United States.

Their parties - two Shiite, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and Dawa, and two Kurdish, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Democratic Party of Kurdistan - hold a total of 181 seats.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

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