Iraq's prime minister warned Saturday that efforts to create an autonomous Sunni region within Iraq would divide the country and lead to "rivers of blood."
His comments came as a government crisis has strained ties between two main Muslim sects, Sunnis and Shiites, to the breaking point.
Nouri al-Maliki, the Shiite prime minister, is engaged in a showdown with the top Sunni political leader in the country. His government has issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi for what al-Hashemi says are trumped-up charges that he ran hit squads against government officials.
Since al-Maliki formed his government last December, minority Sunnis have been complaining of being marginalized by the Shiite-led government, prompting some Sunni provinces to call for turning into an autonomous region similar to the northern Kurdish region.
As an autonomous region, they would be able to conduct their own security affairs and have more independence in attracting investment. While the regions would still be part of Iraq, it would weaken Baghdad's control. Many worry that it would be the first step to breaking up the country along sectarian lines.
The calls have been repeatedly rejected by al-Maliki.
On Saturday, al-Maliki renewed his rejection to forming regions on a "sectarian basis," saying it would lead to "dividing Iraq and to rivers of blood."
"I can't reject this issue (forming regions) since it is allowed by the constitution," he told representatives from Sunni Salahuddin province, one of three Sunni-dominated areas that pushed for more autonomy. Diyala and Anbar provinces have also sought more autonomy.
"But doing it now means dividing Iraq on a sectarian basis while our country is unified," he said.
Tensions between minority Sunnis and Shiites have skyrocketed in recent days, laying bare an underlying mistrust that has never really gone away, despite years of effort to overcome it. Minority Sunnis fear the Shiite majority is squeezing them out of any political say, and Shiites suspect Sunnis of links to insurgency and terrorism.
Iraq's anti-American Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, launched an initiative Saturday calling for peaceful coexistence among all Iraqis after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The last soldiers left Dec. 18.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement