Barzani warns against “most dangerous crisis” facing Iraq since 2003
Barzani was speaking at Duhok University’s Conference Hall to representatives of civil society organizations in Duhok province. The president is on a several days visit to the province where he is seeking to find solutions to the recent unrest in which public liquor stores were torched and in erprisal, alleged pro-Barzani mob torched the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) offices in the province.
“What Iraq is undergoing is considered to be the most dangerous of the crises facing Iraq since the fall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003” said Barzani. “If we want to keep the national partnership government, then the political issues have to be solved politically and the judicial ones be solved judicially without the intervention of any political party”
Iraq witnessed an escalation in tensions between main rival political blocs after security forces in Baghdad arrested several of Iraqi Vice-President Taiq al-Hashimi’s, top Sunni leader in the country, guards and later the state-run al-Iraqiya TV aired televised confessions of the men who said they had received orders from al-Hashimi to carry out bombings.
An arrest warrant was issued for al-Hashimi on charges of financing attacks and involvement in “terror attacks”. Al-Hashimi fled to Kurdistan Region to seek protection from he Shiite authorities in Baghdad.
Al-Hashimi has said he will appear before court on condition the hearings be held in Kurdistan Region. He said courts in Baghdad were politicized. Kurdish leader s have defended a just and fair trial for al-Hashimi.
By Khurdr al-Khallat
