Iraq's fugitive Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi in Saudi Arabia

After a four day visit, Iraq's fugitive Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi has left Qatar. The official's, allegedly unauthorised, trip to the fellow Arab country has sparked conflict with the rest of Iraqi government.

Al-Hashemi is the most senior Sunni minister in the government. He absconded to the sovereign Kurdish region of Iraq after being accused of partaking in terrorism last year. He then later fled to Qatar.

Earlier this week, Iraq demanded that Qatar hand-over al-Hashemi but it refused, saying such a step would go against diplomatic conventions. Speaking about the issue, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani said Qatar harbouring a wanted person was an "unacceptable act" and that it should "return him to Iraq".

According to Reuters, al-Hashemi is now in Saudi Arabia, where he is to undergo a pilgrimage. The official told al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, during his time in Qatar, that he planned to visit Saudi Arabia on his trip of "friendly states".

Like Qatar, Saudi Arabia has a Sunni government; both countries have expressed concern about Iraq's largely Shi'a government. On Monday 2 April, Baghdad asked for Hashemi to be extradited, but Qatar refused, saying there was no court judgement to validate such a step.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Hashemi in December 2011 brought the country's national unity government close to ruin, and ignited fears that sectarian unrest would mount.

Iraq's government was due to hold reconciliation talks with Sunni and Kurdish counterparts on Thursday 5 April, but the meeting fell through as al-Maliki's opponents refused to attend the meeting. It is yet to be confirmed whether or not it will take place.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

Iraq: Al-Maliki at a low ebb as regional autonomy demands grow

Iraq is lurching into yet another crisis. Things seem to be going from bad to worse and the optimism that accompanied the run-up to last year's elections is but a distant memory. Not only is the country still paralysed by an interminable political stalemate that has the various blocs at each other's throats, but the security situation is worsening by the week. The latest string of bombings and suicide attacks to hit the country is yet another reminder that, for all his pre-election promises, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has been unable to halt the tide of violence. It is also a reminder that the power sharing agreement drawn up after the March 2010 elections was not really a solution at all.

Rather it amounted to a quick fix that brought all sides together at the lowest common denominator in the interests of getting an agreement.

To make matters worse, calls from a number of governorates for the formation of autonomous regions are growing, placing additional pressures on the already beleaguered PM. Al- Maliki is desperately trying to hold things together, as Iraq's national unity is being seriously challenged for the first time.

Yet the premier knows that things are about to get a lot worse. The withdrawal of US troops at the end of the year will leave the country even more vulnerable to violence and to meddling by other regional powers. Iraqis are bracing themselves for what they believe will be a very rough ride.

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

© 2011 Menas Associates

A suicide car bomber kills 48 people in Shi'a area of Baghdad

A suicide car bomber targeting a public funeral, in the predominantly Shi'a area of Baghdad, has killed 48 people and left 121 seriously injured. According reports, the mourners attacked the police, as it arrived in the north-western Shula district, for failing to provide sufficient protection.

It is thought that the attack may have been masterminded by a Sunni terrorist group, linked to the Al-Qai'da, known for attacking public gatherings. The latest attack on Shi'a Muslims comes after a number of bombing killed dozens of Shi'a pilgrims during a religious celebration in the holy city of Karbala last week. Over the course of the last month, a spate of bombings against pilgrims and Iraqi security officers has killed more than 170 people.

Eyewitness reports suggested that the police fired into the air to disperse the crowds, but came under attack from armed gunmen. In order to stop the situation escalating further, the military was deployed to the town to restore order.

The country's security is a prevailing issue, magnified by the withdrawal of US troops, that shall present a challenge to Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and his coalition government.

Sources: BBC News, Los Angeles Times , FT, Miami Herald, The Independent

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.