Iraq's Al-Maliki Tells of Numerous Attempts to Assassinate Him

[sabra]

Source: Bloomberg

May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said he has survived "many attempts" on his life, in an interview with the London-based al-Hayat newspaper.

He said one of the incidents occurred last year, when he was flying from Mosul in northern Iraq to Baghdad, according to a transcript posted on his website today.

"A missile was fired against the plane but thermal decoys diverted it," the prime minister said.

Al-Maliki, who has been attempting to form a coalition government since parliamentary elections on March 7 failed to give his State of Law alliance an outright majority, said the country's constitution will ensure that dictatorship won't return to Iraq.

"The one party, the one family and the one person will never return," he said, referring to the late Saddam Hussein and his banned Baath Party. "There are those who think about becoming a replacement for Saddam, but the road is cut off."



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