Senior Iraqiya Coalition member Dr. Zafer al-Ani strongly condemned the death sentence issued against Iraqi Vice President Dr. Tareq al-Hashemi, describing this measure as the final nail in the coffin against any reform in Iraq.
“This decision by Maliki has led everyone to sever their relations with him,” al-Ani said in an interview with al-Jazeera TV.
“The timing of the death warrant and a chain of violent attacks throughout the country is no coincidence. These bomb attacks are fueled by sectarian beliefs. Today Iraq witnessed numerous bloody attacks across the country. The sectarian nature of this issue is very obvious,” he added.
“Iraqi Vice President Dr. Tareq al-Hashemi was the former leader of the Islamic Party. Three of his brothers and sisters have been martyred while struggling for Iraq’s independence and these sham measures against Dr. al-Hashemi are preparations for an Iraq after Bashar Assad. These are efforts aimed at creating a new scene in Iraq and replacing Damascus, which the Iranian regime is attempting to play its cards in,” al-Ani continued.
“I say that targeting al-Hashemi by Maliki is not intended to just create political difficulties against him personally. In fact, these are measures aimed at targeting a particular mixture of the society, being the Sunnis,” he concluded.