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Sunni bloc withdraws from Iraq Parliament

Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of the Iraq Accordance Front, the largest Sunni bloc in parliament, speaks to reporters ion August. Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Jamie Gumbrecht McClatchy
Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of the Iraq Accordance Front, the largest Sunni bloc in parliament, speaks to reporters ion August. Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s political system fell deeper into sectarian turmoil Saturday as its largest Sunni bloc boycotted parliament, refusing to continue until its leader Adnan al-Dulaimi returned from what they called house arrest.

Al-Dulaimi, a critic of the Shiite-led government, has been inside his Baghdad home since Friday, shortly after his son and about 40 members of his staff and security team were detained in relation to car bombs and killings nearby. Iraqi forces with U.S. military assistance asked the Iraqi Accordance Front leader to stay inside for safety reasons, the U.S. military said, but Sunni leaders said his absence, and that of his daughter – legislator Asmaa al-Dulaimi – was forced.

During an impassioned argument that spoke to rivalries between Shiites and Sunnis, parliament members disagreed about the terms of al-Dulaimi’s absence, whether it was legal to keep him from parliament and whether they should even be discussing the issue during a criminal investigation.

“This is not a political issue, it is not a sectarian issue,” said Sadiq al-Rikabi, adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “We should respect the authority of the judicial system.”

Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a member of the Accordance Front, said al-Maliki had ordered the Iraqi squad to protect al-Dulaimi, but security forces told him al-Dulaimi was under arrest.

“That means the home arrest was imposed by the field leaders, not by the orders of al-Maliki, and that is dangerous precedent,” al-Mashhadani said.

After the debate, members of the 44-seat Sunni bloc left. They have not said when they will return.

A statement from the Accordance Front said al-Dulaimi’s absence and the detentions would cause political tension at a time of relative peace and security in Baghdad’s neighborhoods.

Al-Dulaimi couldn’t be reached for comment. Sunnis around Iraq condemned what they called the house arrest. Sofyan al-Jobori, the spokesman of People of Iraq Conference, said al-Dulaimi supporters plan to stage a protest today.