Iraqi Prime Minister Says Defense of Country Is Top Priority
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iStock/Thinkstock(BAGHDAD) — Hoping to save both his country and his political career, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Wednesday made something of a conciliatory gesture to those seeking his removal in the face of Islamic extremists who continue to swallow up large swaths of the north and west.
Under pressure to resign, Maliki said that he would offer amnesty to Sunni tribes who’ve joined the newly named the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
However, with both his political foes and Washington demanding formation of a unity government, Maliki stressed that the top priority must be the defense of the homeland from extremists, adding, “No one should believe that there is a more important issue.”
The prime minister is dealing with a hostile parliament with Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers having walked out a day earlier in protest of what they believe is Maliki’s mishandling of the threat posed by the ISIS.
Sunni groups have willingly joined up with ISIS, charging Baghdad’s Shiite-led government with refusing to give them a fair shake since U.S. forces departed the country in late 2011.
However, ISIS, with its strict adherence to Sharia law, is considered a militant threat by most within Iraq along with both the Iranian and Syrian governments. The U.S. is also concerned that terrorists will use the seized land from Iraq and Syria to build a new base of operations against the West.
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