Az-Zaman reports that Muqtada al-Sadr made a statement from “an unknown location,” his first since speculations started regarding his whereabouts. Muqtada’s letter was read by a representative to thousands of Sadrist supporters in Baghdad. From his hideout (which some still think is in Iran) al-Sadr made the first direct attack on the security plan by a high-ranking Sadrist official, he criticized that the plan was executed by American forces, which he termed “the enemy.” The Shi'a leader also called for an “Iraqi strategy,” that is “neither sectarian not authoritarian.” Finally, he called on his supporters to “distance themselves” from the security plan, “which is controlled by our occupying enemies.”
The letter comes as a possible sign of a shift in the policies of the Sadr Current. Sadrist officials had consistently supported the Baghdad plan and said that their organization will not hinder its execution. Muqtada’s statement comes as a marked reversal of previous positions.
These stances of the Sadr Current have to be read in the context of a possible split in the Shi'a political bloc in Iraq. Reports speak of intensifying inter-Shi'a rivalries, especially in the south of the country, which has become a scene for political purges, arrests and assassinations. Sadr’s references to “non-sectarianism” may indicate a rift with his Shi'a bloc and an outlook towards political alliances with other forces in Iraq.
Another Shi'a critic of security plan was Husain al-Shahrastani, the leader of an “independent” bloc within the Shi'a alliance. Pan-Arab al-Hayat quoted the Shi'a politician as saying that the American forces are not serious about training and equipping the Iraqi Army. Al-Shahrastani also criticized the conduct of government agencies, corruption and the infiltration of militias into the security organizations. Al-Shahrastani, who used to work in the Iraqi nuclear program, was imprisoned by Saddam and spent several years in exile. His name was touted for the prime minister’s position at some point, and he has a certain political credit among Iraqis due to his independence from major sectarian blocs and his incorruptibility. Al-Sharastani also criticized the emergence of the secret police in the new Iraqi state, saying to his audience that “[intelligence services are busy spying on people like you, instead of doing their duties protecting Iraq and its security.”
Al-Mada covered the explosion that hit a Sunni area in Baghdad, insinuating that it was the work of al-Qa'ida and Sunni extremists. Al-Mada quoted the Iraqi police claiming that the Imam of the Habbaniya mosque (outside of which the explosion took place) had “criticized al-Qa'ida” and that the attack was directed at the mosque. Al-Mada also interviewed local residents who said that the attack was directed against a police station in the area. Pan-Arab al-Sharq al-Awsat saw a connection as well between al-Qa'ida and the attack.
Furthermore, in an op-ed in Al-Mada’s front page, the daily’s editor accused al-Qa'ida directly of preparing the attack that took the lives of 45 Baghdadis. The author added that the bombing was consistent with al-Qa'ida’s tactics and political motives, and said that “Al-Qa'ida will not accept other than ... cities wrecked by terrorism and chaos, or an Iraq governed by al-Qa'ida.”
Meanwhile, newspapers report on a political crisis caused by proposed amendments to the de-Ba'thification laws. Easing restrictions on ex-Ba'this and the re-enrollment of many of them into the state bureaucracy was seen by the government as a main pillar in the project of “national reconciliation” in Iraq. The US had urged al-Maliki to propose an amendment to the law, but the parliament rejected it, much to the dismay of the US diplomacy. According to Al-Sharq al-Awsat, American officials believe that the re-entry of Ba'this into the state is an indispensable step to convince the “Sunni minority” that “it will receive a fair treatment in the new regime.”
Lastly, Hoshink Ossi wrote on the state of the semi-independent Kurdistan in London-based al-Hayat. Ossi said that after the US invasion, the nucleus of a state has been created in the North of Iraq, and that the Kurdish zone had become an area of relative security and prosperity in the turbulent country. However, Ossi warns that deep-seated corruption may seriously endanger the governance of Kurdistan. Ossi claims that the major economic resources in Kurdistan have been controlled by the Kurdish parties and loyal clans, and that the disbursement of government funds goes strictly through networks of patronage and corruption. In addition, Ossi says, the Kurdish parties have begun consolidating political power and eliminating rivals and critics, citing the 30-year prison sentence given to a Kurdish professor who critiqued corruption in Kurdistan.
