Allawi says Iraq at risk as (Shiite) coalitions talk merger

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, March 31 (Reuters) - An alliance of major Shi'ite parties that sidelines his election-winning cross-sectarian bloc could tip Iraq back into sectarian violence, former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said on Wednesday.

Allawi, a secular Shi'ite, said a proposed merger to form a government between Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition and fellow Shi'ite bloc, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), whose leaders have close ties to Iran, would effectively be a return to sectarian government.

"This will cause a very severe and serious backlash in the country. It will take it to square one," Allawi told Reuters in an interview. "It will really be quite devastating."

"Unfortunately, and God forbid, I can see violence, and maybe severe violence."

Allawi rode strong support from Iraq's Sunni-dominated northern and western provinces to win a March 7 parliamentary election that he said showed the "true colours of Iraq" as a non-sectarian state.

Maliki's State of Law bloc and the INA won in predominantly Shi'ite southern regions.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE62U1UQ.htm

[mdmc]

1. the price of democracy

decades of blood and treasure still need to be dumped into Iraq..

[krkaufman]

2. Allawi reminds me of other politicians ...

... rather than condemning violence and expressing that such a coalition would be withing the workings of the Iraq Constitution, he views violence as an inevitable consequence of his oppositions' perfectly legal actions.

[Rage Inc.]

3. So long as our troops get out of there ON SCHEDULE.....

...I really don't give a fuck! We shouldn't have invaded in the first place, and now, whatever happens in Iraq will happen in Iraq! Period!