Saddam footsteps

Events in Iraq in recent weeks suggest the country is sliding toward irreparable civil conflict, unless its causes are addressed.

In the past couple of weeks of seemingly nonstop violence, the sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shiites in the country has risen to the surface. This is thanks in no small part to the decisions of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose policies have raised fears among the Sunni population of him and his leadership.

It appears to not be enough for Maliki and his people that the country has already lost thousands of lives and billions of dollars since the U.S. invasion. They are willing to risk losing more.

At this stage all efforts should be focused on reuniting Iraqi society and bringing the country back into the 21st century. Iraq has suffered not only material damage, but also damage to its social fabric which requires intense effort to repair. That damage was the cost the country paid for the removal of one dictator. Now it is at risk of being subjected to another.

The danger of this is obvious to all, except apparently Maliki himself. Even moderate Shiite leaders have cautioned against his government’s current path because they see it is a recipe for more violence.

Sectarian Tensions Are Pushing Iraq To The Brink

The blood that has been spilt in Syria over the past two years has polarised the country and the region along sectarian lines. But while Syria is fracturing, the situation in Iraq is even more serious. The sectarian divides there are deeper, and at a more critical point. It is Iraq, not Syria, that is most likely to be torn apart by sectarianism, with ramifications for the entire region.

Iraq is much more polarised now than it was under Saddam Hussein. The bitterness and retribution of the civil war that followed the US occupation are still etched on people's minds. The regional and international rivalry for its rich oil resources is now greater than ever. Corruption is rife: today, Iraq is classified by Transparency International as being among the most corrupt countries in the world. In this oil-producing country already basic services and poor infrastructure are continuing to decline.

At a time when democratic leadership is needed to heal sectarian wounds and entrench national reconciliation, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has instead established an autocratic single-sect powerbase. By so doing, he has plunged Baghdad into a deep crisis, which has escalated in recent weeks with thousands taking to the streets in Sunni areas to protest against his Shia-led government.

In the 2010 elections, Iraqiya, a national, non-sectarian coalition, won 91 seats and gained a parliamentary majority, with two seats more than Maliki's State of Law coalition. But Iranian pressure ensured that Maliki emerged as the prime minister.

Hundreds of prisoners released in Iraq

Iraqi authorities have freed 175 prisoners, in an apparent concession to Sunni protesters demonstrating against the Shia-led government.

Deputy PM Hussein Shahristani said a total of 335 prisoners had been released in the last week.
He apologised "on behalf of the Iraqi state" to those who had suffered prolonged detention.
Across the country, tens of thousands of Sunni Muslims have been complaining of alleged discrimination.
Mr Shahristani heads a committee formed by Prime Minster Nouri Maliki to look into the demands of the protesters.
Yellow uniforms There have been three weeks of demonstrations, in predominantly Sunni provinces of Iraq.
The release of detainees held without charges has been one of the main demands.
Dozens of prisoners in yellow Iraqi prison uniforms were surrounded by guards during a release ceremony at a ceremony at a Baghdad prison.
AP news agency reported that those being freed were handed Korans and given sweets as television cameras rolled.

Iraq threatens to seize oil shipments, sue dealers

Iraq has threatened to seize oil exports made without its consent and sue companies dealing in what it sees as contraband crude just days after the country's self-rule Kurdish region began unilaterally exporting oil.
The spokesman for Iraq's Kurdish regional government, Safeen Dizayee, confirmed Friday that the largely autonomous territory began shipping oil to Turkey in the past few days.
The move appears to have triggered Baghdad's threat. A statement quietly posted a day earlier on the website of the State Oil Marketing Organization warned that Iraq may confiscate what it sees as oil cargoes "smuggled across borders," and sue sellers, buyers and companies that transport the crude.
The statement said SOMO "is the sole legally authorized entity that has the exclusive right to export and import crude oil, gas and oil products" in the OPEC member nation.
A hard line from Baghdad over the shipments could exacerbate simmering tensions between Iraq's central government and the Kurds. The two sides appeared on the brink of war just two months ago after an exchange of fire prompted them to deploy troops and heavy weapons along their disputed internal border.
Iraq's central government and the Kurds have been at loggerheads for years about how to manage Iraq's vast oil wealth.
Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the Kurds have struck more than 50 deals with foreign oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and France's Total S.A. Baghdad considers the deals illegal. It believes the central government should manage the country's oil policy and wants all exports to travel through state-run pipelines.