By Suadad al-Salhy
BAGHDAD, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Iraq’s Sunni Muslim finance
minister on Thursday accused the Shi’ite prime minister of
targetting his bodyguards and staff, threatening to rekindle a
political crisis a year after American troops left.
The incident came just hours after President Jalal Talabani,
a Kurd who often mediated among the country’s fractious Sunni,
Shi’ite and Kurdish blocks, left for Germany after suffering a
stroke that may remove him from politics.
Finance Minister Rafie al-Esawi, a member of the
Sunni-backed Iraqiya block, said bodyguards and staff were
snatched illegally, and blamed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a
Shi’ite.
“My message to the prime minister is that you are a man who
does not believe in partnership and does not respect the law and
the constitution,” Esawi said in a late night press conference.
“You want me to believe Maliki had no idea about this? No,
this happened with previous planning and intent.”
A ministry of interior spokesman, Col. Saad Ma’an, said part
of Esawi’s security detail had been detained.
The incident seemed reminiscent of a year ago when Iraqi
authorities sought the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq
al-Hashemi, accusing him of running death squads, in a move that
sparked a crisis just as the last American troops packed up.
That case plunged the country’s power-sharing agreement
amoung Shi’ite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and Kurds into turmoil, with
Sunni politicians boycotting parliament. Hashemi later fled the
country and was sentenced to death in absentia.
Joined by other senior Sunni politicians, Esawi called for a
vote of no confidence against Maliki.
The Shi’ite premier’s Sunni, Kurdish and some Shi’ite rivals
tried earlier this year to organize a vote of no confidence
against him. But the measure failed because Talabani did not
back the vote and because of splits among Maliki’s foes.
