Fomenting sectarian strife in Iraq, al-Qaeda’s new plot

TEHRAN,May 4(MNA)--These days, Iraq is in a very volatile situation, and everyone is worried about the future of the country. Even Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, based in the city of Najaf, who is the most respected marja taqlid (a Shia cleric regarded as a source of emulation) in the country, has warned that the current crisis is the most unprecedented since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein. Over the past few months, Iraqis have witnessed an increase in terrorist operations in various parts of the country while the country’s leading politicians continue to dispute about major issues. The external support provided to the insurgents by regional and extra-regional governments has also intensified the crisis in Iraq. It is not unusual that there are political disputes in Iraq, but the endless wrangling has paved the way for the resurgence of groups like al-Qaeda and the Baath Party, and they have begun carrying out sabotage operations across Iraq. In fact, Iraq’s volatile politics has provided terrorist groups an opportunity to foment sectarian strife in the country and to accuse the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of neglecting the rights of minorities. Iraq’s political groups should be more vigilant about the threat posed by this major conspiracy. If they decide to set aside their differences and reach a consensus, they will successfully weather the current crisis. The government should also be cautious in dealing with the unrest. The current protests and demonstrations in Iraq are not all the work of foreign agitators. In fact, some segments of the Iraqi nation are staging legitimate demonstrations to demand their constitutional rights, and the central government must take proper measures to respond to their calls. However, terrorists are taking advantage of the popular protests in some cities to realize their malevolent objectives. They do not want to see any political solution to the crisis since they are fundamentally opposed to the Iraqi Constitution and the legitimate right of citizens to express their demands. But the Iraqi nation is aware of these conspiracies and will not allow the terrorists to create a chasm between the government and the people. The representatives of political parties in the parliament, in the executive branch of government, and in the provincial councils should try to reach a consensus in order to strengthen national unity and solidarity. This would seriously limit the scope of action for terrorists to carry out subversive activities and would defuse the plots that are targeting Iraq’s sovereignty. All groups and parties in Iraq should return to the Constitution since it is the nation’s only social covenant and was endorsed by 78.5 percent of Iraqi citizens. The only way out of the current crisis is for all groups to sit at the negotiating table and try to find a political solution. Otherwise, Iraq may slide into a massive political and social crisis. Mohsen Hakim is a political advisor of the chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. (By Mohsen Hakim)