SYRIA: Two key politicians in the Iraq deadlock hold talks

Record ID: 279760

  • Title: SYRIA: Two key politicians in the Iraq deadlock hold talks
  • Date: 20th July 2010
  • Summary: EBLA (NEAR DAMASCUS), SYRIA (JULY 19, 2010) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE OF FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) VARIOUS OF IRAQI POLITICIAN IYAD ALLAWI GREETING SHI'ITE CLERIC LEADER, MOQTADA AL-SADR ALLAWI AND AL-SADR HEADING TO MEETING ROOM VARIOUS OF MEETING WIDE OF MOQTADA AL-SADR NEWS CONFERENCE SOUNDBITE (English) SHI'ITE CLERIC LEADER, MOQTADA AL-SADR, SAYING: ""For the benefit o
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABHQJV2V3DLPCCZYHATZRIZIIG
  • Story Text: Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said that for the benefit of Iraq he is ready to end all his disagreements whether with the Iraqi politician Iyad Allawi or any other party after a meeting with Allawi in Damascus on Monday (July 19).
    "For the benefit of Iraq I forget all the disagreements. If there were old disagreements I forget them in order to make the political process move forward. And I hope that in the future there would not be any disagreements with him or with anyone else," he said after the meeting with Allawi for the first time.
    Allawi said both he and al-Sadr had mutual points of view that point to the care given to Iraq and the formation of a strong Iraqi government soon.
    "We had mutual and positive points of view that express the big care about Iraq, its unity and the importance of forming a strong Iraqi government that includes all the political parties," Allawi said.
    More than four months after Iraq held an election meant to set it on a course out of sectarian war and toward stability, Iraqis may be closer to knowing who their next prime minister will be.
    There had been earlier signs of progress in coalition talks between the main Shi'ite blocs, in particular over incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's demand to be given a second term.
    Politicians had said that fiery anti-American cleric al-Sadr might withdraw his veto of Maliki if he agrees to terms, such as the release of detained Sadrists, lifting death sentences and a generous sprinkling of cabinet posts and government jobs.
    But mutual suspicions have run deep and the hurdles to a final deal have been formidable. The odds were probably still no better than even on Maliki keeping his job. His State of Law coalition came second with 89 seats in the election to 91 won by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya, while the Shi'ite-led Iraqi National Alliance (INA) won around 70 seats.
    The Sadrists are fiercely opposed to the U.S. presence, and might demand either a speedier pullout or guarantees U.S. forces are not allowed to remain beyond their end-2011 withdrawal date.
    They are also viewed as unpredictable and disruptive as legislators and administrators.
    Oil majors investing in Iraq's oilfields may also prefer this solution -- the Sadrists are the main critics of contracts the companies signed with the outgoing government.
    Earlier, Allawi who arrived in Damascus on Sunday (July 18) met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. During the meeting, Assad ensured Syria's backing to any agreement between the Iraqis.
    Allawi is due to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davud Oglu also in the Syrian capital.
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