| 2008: Al Maliki back home with 'big goals' |
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January 7, 2008 Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki arrived home on Saturday a week after flying to Britain for medical tests, saying in a newspaper interview he was determined to bring about reconciliation in the deeply divided country. Al Maliki underwent two days of check-ups in a London hospital after suffering exhaustion caused by his heavy workload, a spokesman said earlier. A small but vocal number of supporters welcomed Al Maliki, waving Iraqi flags and displaying posters of him as the premier's convoy left the airport. "I have returned to our homeland to continue construction at this hard stage in the history of Iraq," he told reporters on his arrival. "My health is good and we have big goals this year." In the interview, given before he returned to Baghdad but published yesterday, Al Maliki dismissed accusations that his government did not want to end divisions that have practically paralysed parliament. "The reality shows that this is lying propaganda. I am the first who launched this initiative but unfortunately some politicians do not want reconciliation," he told Al Sharq Al Awsat Arabic international daily. He said the government will continue to support US-backed Sunni Arab groups that have joined the fight against Al Qaida and will integrate a 'large number' of them in the security forces. The comments constituted the strongest public support to date by the Shiite Al Maliki of the Sunni groups that switched sides last year and now number more than 70,000. 'Iraq will not be a base' They came two days after another top Shiite leader, Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, voiced support for the role played by the groups in the fight against Al Qaida. He also vowed that Iraq would not used as a springboard for attacks on its neighbors. "Iraq will not be a base to harm them, and will not be a headquarters or passage for any force which wants to damage the interests of Arab countries or our neighbors such as Turkey or Iran." Al Maliki attacked Iraq's Sunni Vice-President Tarik Al Hashemi, with whom he has repeatedly clashed over how to restore stability. "The disagreement [with Al Hashimi] is substantial," he said. "I disagree with those who say that the political process must return to square one. I disagree with the call for freezing the constitution. "The state collapsed completely and we are about to construct it. This needs effort and real partnership." US officials have expressed frustration at the lack of progress in reconciling Iraq's warring communities. Washington regards two Bills stalled before parliament - an oil law and legislation that would rehabilitate hundreds of members of Saddam Hussain's Baath party - as "benchmarks" towards reconciliation. Return of refugees Meanwhile, some 46,000 refugees returned home to Iraq from Syria between September and December 2007, the Iraqi Red Crescent said in a new report obtained on Friday, a much lower figure than that given by the Iraqi government. Just how many of the 2.2 million Iraqis forced into exile by sectarian violence have returned is a matter of debate among aid groups, the US military, and the Iraqi government, which is anxious to play up the returns as a sign of improved security. The report, due to be published today, said 45,913,000 refugees had returned to Iraq from Syria between September 15 and December 27. The figure was based on statistics from government ministries and transportation companies. Most, some 38,000, returned to Baghdad, the epicenter of the violence between majority Shiites and minority Sunnis that killed tens of thousands and redrew the demographic map of the capital as people fled their homes in their thousands. Source: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/01/06/10179728.html |