Iraqi Quits Council In Security Protest; represents a setback for US and British diplomats

Guardian Unlimitied ^ | 09-01-03

[Brian S]

Rory McCarthy in Baghdad Monday September 1, 2003 The Guardian

The US-led authority in Iraq suffered its first political fallout from the mounting security crisis yesterday when a senior Iraqi pulled out of the governing council.

Mohammad Bahr al-Uloum said he was suspending his membership of the US-appointed council after the devastating car bomb in the holy city of Najaf on Friday which killed up to 125 people, including a leading Shia cleric.

He said there was a "dangerous security void in Iraq, especially in Najaf".

Last night the governor of Najaf said five suspects - all Iraqis - were being held for the bombing, distancing himself from earlier reports that as many as nine men who had admitted to being members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, some of whom were Arabs from outside Iraq, were being held.

"There are several suspects, none of whom has citizenship other than Iraqi," Haidar al-Mayyali said.

"The number of those now arrested is not greater than the number of fingers on one hand," he added.

The departure of Mohammad Bahr al-Uloum from the governing council represents a setback for US and British diplomats and may yet trigger a wider unravelling of the fragile political process. The 25-member council is intended to be the forerunner of a new Iraqi government, although it has been deadlocked by rivalries and disagreements since it was set up in July.

Several senior Iraqis have criticised the US military after the murder of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, the head of the influential Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Ayatollah Hakim's brother, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who also sits on the governing council, said the US military bore some responsibility for the attack.

"These troops are ultimately responsible for achieving security and stability," he said. "They are ultimately responsible for the innocent blood which is being shed every day in Najaf, Baghdad, Basra, Mosul and all over Iraq."

In an interview a day before he was killed, Ayatollah Hakim said he had complained to US commanders about their approach. "We told the Americans that their policy in Iraq was wrong and their dealing with the situation illogical," he told an Egyptian newspaper.

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, denied yesterday that the US-UK coalition was losing control.

"It is not losing its grip. The truth is that August has been a very bad month for the security situation across Iraq. It is very frustrating for everybody involved," he said.

With Britain due to take over the rotating chairmanship of the UN security council tomorrow, Mr Straw expressed confidence that agreement could be reached on a new resolution to "deepen and strengthen" the UN's mandate in Iraq.

Some among the Shia leaders have blamed a combination of Sunni extremists and loyalists of the former regime of Saddam Hussein for the Najaf bombing. Investigators have suggested similarities with the bombings earlier this month at the UN headquarters and the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad. Iraqi officials have asked FBI agents to help investigate the bombing.

Armed gunmen from the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of the Sciri movement, were out in force yesterday patrolling around the funeral held for Ayatollah Hakim.

Abu Sadiq al-Shamati, the head of Sciri's office in Karbala and himself a senior official within the party, said the US military should now hand over security to Shia leaders.

In an indication that the party's militia had already begun taking security into its own hands, he said Sciri officers had arrested an Iraqi thought to be linked to Friday's bomb.

[vbmoneyspender]

The newspapers take on this situation is simply incredible. It is plain to anybody who is not willfully blind that the terrorists and Baathists are now focusing their attacks on symbolic targets that are not guarded by Americans and Brits. The obvious conclusion to be drawn from this is that the United States has ground down the enemy to the point that the enemy is having to forego American targets and instead focus on targets which have purposefully decided to forego American and British protection.

[Numbers Guy]

"They are ultimately responsible for the innocent blood which is being shed every day in Najaf, Baghdad, Basra, Mosul and all over Iraq."

Perhaps we can improve the security situation by putting Ba'athists in charge of security in the Shi'ite areas. I'm sure the Shi'ites will be very happy to have the evil Americans out of the security business.

[MEG33]

It's all about power.Who has it and who wants it.There are many contenders!

[Brian S]

In the future, please put GAG ALERTS on all Guardian pieces.

I don't do "gag alerts"...

With all the great purveyors of wisdom on this forum...I deem it as "not necessary". :)

[Johnbalaya]

I think this walkout guy will be a troublemaker...he already has his own militia backing him

[Johnbalaya]

oops, my mistake, kept thinking it was Sadr that walked out

[vbmoneyspender]

Take alook at the statistics. The monthly number of combat dead for August has dropped by over 50% since July and is now below that of June and is nearing the level that occurred in May. In contrast, since the beginning of August, when we saw our number of combat deaths in Iraq drop significantly, we suddenly began seeing attacks on targets like the UN and the Shiite leaders in Najaf. Targets, it should be noted, which had purposefully waived off American protection. I don't believe that is a coincidence.