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The World


Deal between Iraq’s Maliki and Allawi could end impasse


iraq from A1


tion official, and reemphasized U.S. support for “a process, not a specific candidate or outcome,” that results in an “inclusive gov- ernment.” “We believe . . . all four large


coalitions must play a role,” and continue to urge them to do so, the official said. The administra- tion thinks that Maliki “still has to reach out to the Kurds, at a minimum,” and that they will “only play ball if Iraqiya is in and there is a meaningful” shift of powers from the office of prime minister. “Maliki’s very positive statements in recent days about inclusivity and reconciliation seemto acknowledge this reality,” he said. Iraqiya had yet to officially


meet with members of Maliki’s State of Law bloc, Shiite and Iraqiya legislators said Monday. But Maliki seemed to be open to the proposal, one Shiite legislator from within the National Alli- ance said. The two sides expect to discuss the arrangement after Allawi’s planned return Tuesday froma visit to Cairo. “I thinkMaliki will agree with


this because he wants to guaran- tee [Iraqiya’s] 91 votes,’’ the legislator with knowledge of the possible deal said. The agreement was proposed


Sunday night during a telephone conversation between Allawi and Shiite clericMoqtada al-Sadr, the leader of a large faction that threw its weight behind Maliki on Friday, said a senior official inside the largely Sunni-backed bloc of Iraqiya. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. The proposal fromSadr,who is


studying in Iran, followed meet- ings between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadine- jad, two of the most influential regional players in Iraq’s govern- ment-formation process. The proposed deal would likely be well received in neighboring Iran, where officials have been


backingMaliki. “Moqtada said it won’t keep


the alliance with Maliki unless Dr. Allawi is the president with more authorities,’’ the official said. “I think this is acceptable.’’ Sadrist officials declined to


speak publicly about the pro- posed agreement but acknowl- edged that they thought it was a viable option. On Sunday, Maliki called for


Iraqiya’s participation in his po- tential government. As part of the proposed deal,


the role of president would be broadened to include foreign pol- icy, defense and energy sectors, said a senior official inside the Iraqiya bloc. The Sadrists boosted Maliki’s


chances of retaining the premier- ship by backing his nomination by a coalition of Shiite blocs known as the National Alliance. The move alarmed U.S. officials who had discouraged a substan- tive Sadrist role in the new gov- ernment. But forMaliki, themove posed


a dilemma.He cannot formanew government without the Sadrist backing. To retain that support, hemay be forced to give up some of his power. The Sadrist support also comes with a time limit. “He has one month,” said Mo-


hammed al-Darraji, a Sadrist leg- islator. “If he can’t fulfill his commitment to attract other par- ties, then we have to go for another choice.’’ Members of Maliki’s bloc


would not discuss or acknowl- edge a potential deal. They also warnedthat theywouldnot agree to such a step without Kurdish approval. “There are signs from Iraqiya


and some members in the bloc that they want to be partners in the government,’’ saidAli al-Alaq, a legislator from Maliki’s bloc who said he had no knowledge of the deal. “Such an important decision needs to be reviewed, especially because the Kurds want the presidency and they are our real partners.’’ Towin the premiership,Maliki


Iraqiya


(Sunni support) 91


IRAQI PARLIAMENT 325 seats


PROPOSED ALLIANCE Sunni-backed Iraqiya planned to boycott a government run by State of Law leader Nouri al- Maliki but says if their leader Ayad Allawi is sworn in as president with expanded powers in foreign policy, defense and energy, they may support a Maliki-led government. Maliki’s key supporters are Sadrist Shiites, part of the broader Shiite coalition called the National Alliance.


*Includes 14 seats held by the Goran and KIU/KIG parties. SOURCE: Staff reports


EZ SU


KLMNO


Alliances in the Iraqi parliament Te latest Iraqi leadership proposal made by Sadrists, key backers of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, could form a more inclusive government of Sunni, Shiite Arab and Kurdish parliamentary seat holders.


State of Law (Shiite support)


89


Iraqi National Alliance (Shiite)


70


Kurdistan Alliance*


57 18


Other


KURDISH ALLIANCE Te Kurds are currently the kingmakers for a potential government, but members of this coalition are divided about how the proposed agreement would affect their representation and national aspirations.


THE WASHINGTON POST


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010


West Bankmosque set on fire in attack


BY JOEL GREENBERG


beit fajar, west bank — Ar- sonists set fire to a mosque in this Palestinian town early Monday, charring Korans, burning holes into the carpet and scrawling “revenge” in Hebrew near the doorway. The attack, which residents


blamed on Jewish settlers, threat- ened to stir passions amid a crisis in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks over settlement construction. It was strongly condemned by Is- raeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and DefenseMinister Ehud Barak. Netanyahu’s office said he had


must getmore than half of parlia- ment’s 325 votes. He has about 132 declared backers and needs about 32more. A deal between Allawi and


Maliki could rob the Kurdish alliance — which holds about 57 seats—of the powerful kingmak- er role it now plays in the the government-formation process. But the Kurds have pushed for a broader coalition that includes Iraqiya and probably would still play an important role in the new government. For now, the Kurds are de-


manding Iraq’s presidency. But officials within the Kurdish Alli- ance may be flexible. Some con- sider the post of speaker of the parliament more important to Kurdish national aspirations. The parliament holds the key to the solution to a historic land dispute between Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens in the north. “I wouldn’t discount it,” one


Kurdish official said of a tenta- tive deal between Allawi and Maliki. “But it’s still very compli- cated and too early to tell.” Maliki is a divisive figure. Se-


curity has improved under his leadership, but he has been ac- cused of centralizing power, cir- cumventing security ministries,


and using the nation’s security forces for his own purposes. Maliki has been doing every-


thing in his power to secure a second term. He released hun- dreds of Sadrists from prison over the past two months, and Kurdish officials say he has given them the most concrete assur- ances that he will respond to their demands. Kurdish conditions for a po-


tential partnership include a ref- erendum to solve a territorial dispute between Arabs and Kurds and hammering out the relationship between Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdish re- gion in northern Iraq. But some Sunni Arabs from


within Iraqiya still strongly ob- jected to a second termforMaliki onMonday, because of what they see as politically motivated ar- rests against their ranks. “Maliki would be the end of


democracy in this country,” said Atheel al-Nujaifi, the Sunni gov- ernor of Nineveh province and a member of Iraqiya. fadell@washpost.com


Staff writer Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report.


ordered the security forces to “act firmly to quickly uncover the criminals and bring them to jus- tice.” Barak said in a statement that “whoever perpetrated this act is a terrorist in every sense of the word, whose sole intention is to hurt the chances of achieving peace and dialogue with the Pal- estinians.” The Israeli police and army


said an investigation was under- way in cooperation with Palestin- ian security forces. The arson was the third inci-


dent of vandalism in aWest Bank mosque in the past year, and it carried a hallmark of previous assaults on Palestinian property: the words “price tag” written on a wall. The term has been used by militant settlers to describe vio- lence against Palestinians in re- sponse to moves against settlers by Israeli authorities. Netanyahu is under intense


international pressure to extend a moratorium on new settlement construction after a 10-month freeze expired last week, leading to an effective suspension of the peace negotiations. Settlers have voiced concern that Netanyahu will renew the building restric- tions.


Witnesses at Beit Fajar, a


major stone-cutting center south of Bethlehem, said that a car carrying several people pulled up at the mosque about 3 a.m. and that a fire was blazing after they left. “We smelledsmoke,andyoung men outside were shouting that


the mosque is on fire,” saidMary- am Ismail, who lives across the street. She said neighbors rushed over with hoses and buckets to douse the flames. Throughout theday,mengath-


ered at the mosque to survey the damage. There were large, scorched gaps in the carpet, linked by a snaking trail of flam- mable fluid. The walls and ceiling were covered with soot, and a box of singed Korans was removed by Palestinian police officers. “A mosque must be burned,” was scrawled in Hebrew near the door, along with a Star of David. “This is a crime against the


Muslim faith,” said Sheik Kamel Deiriya, a local cleric. “It shows their barbarity. It is part of a conspiracy against the mosques in Palestine.” Muhammad Ayish, the Pales-


tinian Authority official in charge of Muslim institutions in the Bethlehem area, said the aim of the attack was “to provoke reli- gious feelings” and “inflame the situation, so we go back to zero.” As if to illustrate his words, a


group of boys who arrived on their way home from school held up copies of theKoran and chant- ed slogans in front of television cameras. “Death to Israel!” they cried. “Death to the Jews!” Residents said that it was the


first such attack in Beit Fajar and that there was generally little trouble with neighboring Israeli settlers, who come to the town to purchase stone, which is also shipped to Israel. Shaul Goldstein, head of the neighboring Gush Etzion settle- ment council, said that relations with the Palestinians in the area were good and that a group of rabbis from the settlements planned to visit the mosque to express their concern. Goldstein said he had called


Palestinian community leaders to denounce the attack. “I said that we don’t know who did this, but we’re against it,” he said. “Rela- tions are excellent,andsomebody is trying to destroy this. We’re working hard against our extrem- ists.”


Greenberg is a special correspondent.


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