Az-Zaman called the attack “the biggest security breach of the Baghdad Plan,” coming weeks after the bombing in the ministry of municipalities (which injured the vice-president) and the assassination attempt against the vice-prime minister, Salam al-Zawba'i. All of the above operations are considered to be the work of the “Islamic State of Iraq,” the local branch of al-Qa'ida.
According to the newspaper, there are, at the moment, two versions explaining the attack. The first posits that explosives may have been placed in flower pots that were recently brought into the parliament cafeteria, but the suicide bomber theory remains the most widespread; especially with the announcement of the vice-chair of the Iraqi parliament that an unidentified body was found on the scene, possibly belonging to the perpetrator.
Al-Mada and Az-Zaman both reported that three of the employees of the parliament’s cafeteria (where the explosion took place) were arrested for questioning; it has not been confirmed yet whether they are considered suspects in the attack.
An unnamed deputy told Az-Zaman that security concerns were voiced when a “foreign security company” that was charged with protecting the parliament was replaced with units from the Interior Ministry. Al-Mada reported the same fact, and claimed that additional explosive devices were found outside the parliament’s building following the attack. In addition, deputies told Az-Zaman (international edition) that the metal-detectors at the parliament’s gates were not working on Thursday. Also notable was a claim by a “government source” that warnings regarding an imminent attack on the parliament were received by the interior ministry in recent days.
To explain the magnitude of the “security breach,” Az-Zaman’s correspondent described the security measures that the perpetrators had to bypass in order to execute their attack: According to the paper, the cafeteria of the parliament cannot be accessed without a special “badge” and clearance. In fact, the entire building of the parliament requires visitors to have a special clearance to enter. Furthermore, the Green Zone, in which the parliament is located, requires yet another badge for entry, in addition to at least two photo IDs. Finally, six checkpoints (or security gates) exist at every entrance to the Green Zone, guarded by Coalition forces.
A notable pattern in the high-level assassinations of the “Islamic State” is that Sunni politicians are targeted in the same frequency (if not more) as Kurdish and Shi'a figures who are affiliated with the US-backed government.
In the context of a growing Sunni opposition to al-Qa'ida and its “Islamic State” affiliate, it is clear that the extremists view Sunni opponents to be as threatening to their plans as the members of other sects and the US Army.
Al-Hayat published a stern statement by the “Islamic State” threatening to liquidate Sunnis who oppose the movement. The self-proclaimed judge of the “Islamic State” made a televised speech warning “politicians ... who conspire” that “we will cut the hands and strike the necks (of opponents).”
Parallel to that, the divergences between the various factions of the Iraqi resistance on one hand, and al-Qa'ida’s “Islamic State” on the other, have become quasi-public.
Al-Hayat announced that a meeting in an unnamed Arab state (the reporter was Maysar al-Shimmari, al-Hayat’s correspondent in Jedda, Saudi Arabia) joined nine factions of the Iraqi “Islamic and national resistance” in an alliance against the “Islamic State” and its project.
The meeting’s “coordinator” told al-Hayat that four additional factions could not travel to the designated meeting location, but have approved the decisions of the conferees and will sign the joint statement at a later date.
In a phone interview following the meeting, a participant told al-Hayat that “the nine factions do not have foreign links, and their sole objective is resisting the occupation.” He added that the groups represent the different constituents of Iraq: Shi'as, Kurds and Sunnis.
The meeting’s “coordinator” also told al-Hayat that the unification of the factions of the “Islamic and national resistance” (the name indicates a recognition of non-religious parties who participate in fighting the US forces) was prompted by the project of the “Islamic State,” which the factions oppose.
The source indicated that the resistance factions oppose the Islamic State and its agenda that “threatens to tear Iraq apart” and “fragment the national resistance.” But he added that the factions “do not recognize the current Iraqi government, because it is the creation of the occupation and has no free will of its own.”
