BAGHDAD: Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr on Tuesday slammed Iraq’s government as corrupt and its leader as a “tyrant” while calling on citizens to vote, days after announcing his exit from politics.
The televised speech seemed aimed at establishing the cleric, who leaped to prominence with his fierce criticism of the 2003 US-led invasion, as a figure above the everyday Iraqi political fray.
“Politics became a door for injustice and carelessness, and the abuse and humiliation of the rule of a dictator and tyrant who controls the funds, so he loots them... and the cities, so he attacks them, and the sects, so he divides them,” Sadr said.
He was apparently referring to Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, whom he has repeatedly criticized in the past.
Sadr called on Iraqis to vote in parliamentary elections that are now a little more than two months away.
Iraqis “must participate in these elections in a major way, so that the government does not fall into the hands of the dishonest,” Sadr said.
He also reaffirmed his weekend announcement that he was separating himself from his powerful political movement, which holds dozens of parliamentary seats and six ministerial posts.
“I will remain for all — not for the Sadrists only, for I dedicated myself to Iraq and to Islam,” Sadr said in comments indicating he still could play an influential role in Iraq’s political future.
And he had harsh words on the state of Iraq, saying that there is “no agriculture and no industry and no security and safety and no peace.”
Sadr’s rise was aided by the reputations of two famed relatives — including his father, Mohammed Sadiq Al-Sadr — who were killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Sadr was also the commander of the Mahdi Army, a widely-feared militia that battled US forces and played a key role in the brutal sectarian conflict in which thousands of people were killed.
He later suspended the militia’s activities and in recent years his focus has increasingly shifted to religious studies in both Iran and Iraq that have taken him out of the country for extended periods of time.
Moqtada slams govt, ‘tyrant’ PM
Moqtada slams govt, ‘tyrant’ PM
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
