Sectarian violence in Iraq is spiralling out of control, and the Iraqi government is resisting calls by the US to swiftly prepare a security timetable, writes Nermin Al-Mufti For the first time since Iraq came under occupation, Iraqi and US officials are trading accusations. This is a far cry from the customary gratitude Iraqi officials used to show their US "liberators" over the past three years. It seems that the Iraqi government is coming to the conclusion that the Bush administration is not doing all it could to end the violence in the country -- something which ordinary Iraqis knew all along. Only a few days before he talked to President Bush on a videophone link, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki issued a statement criticising US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad over the latter's demand for a timetable for eradicating the violence. "Washington has no right to impose timetables on the Iraqi government", said the statement. The statement contradicted assertions by the Americans to the effect that the Iraqis were preparing security timetables. Hasan Al-Sannid, a parliamentarian who is close to Al Maliki, said that the Iraqi prime minister told Khalilzaz that he was "America's friend, but not its man in Iraq". According to Al-Sannid, the Americans were trying to make the prime minister take tough security decisions "that he deemed inappropriate at the moment". Iraqi government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh said that Al-Maliki's video conference with President Bush was fruitful. After his talks with the US president, Al-Maliki issued a statement saying that "a joint committee between the Americans and the Iraqis has been formed to accelerate the training of Iraqi forces. The Iraqi defence and interior ministers as well as George Casey and Ambassador Khalilzad are on the committee." Al-Dabbagh denied any tensions in US-Iraqi relations. But as sectarian violence continued to spiral in the country, some 102 US soldiers were killed in October, a sign that both the Iraqis and the Americans were unable to take decisive action. A US attack on Al-Sadr City, the stronghold of Moqtada Al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army, resulted in dozens of casualties but failed to bring matters under control. Abu Haydar Al-Kaabi, a commander in the Mahdi Army, told me that "dozens of people have weapons and some of them are ready to kill and steal and run their own militia. Such people have no relation whatsoever with the Mahdi Army. Last week, Moqtada Al-Sadr dismissed 60 of his personnel after it transpired that they were involved in abduction and blackmail." Al-Kaabi added that "Moqtada Al-Sadr instructed the Mahdi Army in Al-Sadr City not to engage the US forces, for the latter were trying to drag them into a deadly confrontation." The occupation forces claim that their actions in Al-Sadr City were conducted with the knowledge of the Iraqi government and the participation of the Iraqi army. During the recent confrontation, the occupation forces say that they managed to kill and arrest leaders of the death squads. The real reason US troops went into the Al-Sadr City, however, was the search for Ahmad Qasiy Al-Taei, a US soldier from Iraqi origins who was abducted last week in Al-Karrada neighbourhood while visiting relatives. Commenting on the conference between Al-Maliki and Bush, Raad Al-Hadithi, a professor of political science at Baghdad University, said, "What would make the Iraqis believe Al-Maliki's government or the US administration? Violence and corruption have reached unimaginable levels, while the government is still talking about committees for reconciliation, for the fight against corruption and for the disbandment of the militia. All these committees are useless. The statement issued by Al-Maliki after his videoconference with President Bush mentions the formation of committees to train the army and the police and other committees. The Iraqis have the right to ask: why haven't the occupation forces conducted actual training since the beginning? Why is the silence over the crimes committed by the militias so far? Where was Bush when all this was happening? Why did he get suddenly interested right before the mid-term elections?" Janan Ali, a professor at the Mustansariya University, said, "What kind of sovereignty is this that Al-Maliki is talking about? What kind of sovereignty is this when US vehicles are deployed everywhere and no decision is taken without US blessing? Al-Maliki first rejected the ambassador's request, then agreed on a timetable to dissolve the militia." In Ali's opinion, any change in Iraq should begin with the admission that the government cannot keep its promises. The Americans and the Iraqi government should apologise to the Iraqis, compensate them, and start immediately with construction, she added. Abu Mahmoud, a Shiite living in Al-Hurriya City in western Baghdad, is alarmed by the way sectarian violence is spreading. "Shiite militias have expelled 230 Sunni families from the city over the last two weeks. Gunmen killed a Shiite teacher who dared to attend a Sunni event. Abu Zaman, a journalist who was expelled from his home in Al-Ghazaliya, is thinking of leaving the country. A displaced Sunni family now lives in his home. US forces continue to besiege towns in western Iraq, including Rawa, Ana, and Heit. The US forces have started a limited operation in Talafar, northwest of Mosul. In Fallujah, the situation is quite alarming following the escalation of attacks on US forces. In Baaquba, 40 policemen were killed last week in clashes with gunmen. And yet, the situation in Baaquba is still better than that in Fallujah. Om Omar, who now lives in Baaquba, said that she has decided to go back to her home in Fallujah, which she said was "Paris" in comparison on Baaquba. In Al-Ramadi, fears of violence have grown after the Al-Anbar Salvation Council, which is made up of local chieftains, decided to go after Al-Qaeda. The clans have put together 6,000 fighters and promised to invade the city and expel Al-Qaeda fighters. Over the past two weeks, 20 journalists were assassinated in Iraq. Schools and universities have opened over a month ago, but classes have been irregular due to security problems.
