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Arrest warrant for Iraq Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi Arrest warrant for Iraq Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi
(about 2 hours later)
An Iraqi judicial committee has issued an arrest warrant for the mainly Shia Arab country's Sunni Arab Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashemi.An Iraqi judicial committee has issued an arrest warrant for the mainly Shia Arab country's Sunni Arab Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashemi.
The warrant was issued under anti-terrorism laws, interior ministry spokesman Adel Daham said.The warrant was issued under anti-terrorism laws, interior ministry spokesman Adel Daham said.
The decision came after arrested bodyguards of Mr Hashemi reportedly accused him of links to terrorism.The decision came after arrested bodyguards of Mr Hashemi reportedly accused him of links to terrorism.
The main Sunni political bloc is reported to have said it will boycott the cabinet in response. The main Sunni political bloc has said it will boycott the cabinet in response.
The BBC Middle East correspondent Jim Muir says the country is facing its biggest political crisis since the unity government was formed a year ago.
State-run television has aired what it says are confessions by alleged terrorists linked to Mr Hashemi.State-run television has aired what it says are confessions by alleged terrorists linked to Mr Hashemi.
Maj-Gen Adel Daham told a news conference that confessions by suspects identified as his bodyguards had linked him to killings and attacks on several Iraqi government and security officials, Reuters news agency reports. Maj-Gen Adel Daham told a news conference that confessions by suspects identified as his bodyguards had linked him to killings and attacks on several Iraqi government and security officials.
Mr Hashemi has been banned from leaving Iraq and is reported to have flown to the semi-autonomous northern enclave of Kurdistan on Sunday night. But the BBC's Middle East correspondent Jim Muir says he is unlikely to be arrested immediately. Mr Hashemi has been banned from leaving Iraq and is reported to have flown to the semi-autonomous northern enclave of Kurdistan on Sunday, but our correspondent says he is unlikely to be arrested immediately.
The judicial committee's move comes the day after US troops withdrew from Iraq.The judicial committee's move comes the day after US troops withdrew from Iraq.
However the warrant is reported to have been drawn up on Saturday, but its announcement was delayed after the al-Iraqiya parliamentary bloc, which represents most of Iraq's Sunni Arab community, withdrew from parliament. They have accused the Shia Arab Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, of monopolising power. The warrant is reported to have been drawn up on Saturday, but its announcement was delayed after the al-Iraqiya parliamentary bloc, which represents most of Iraq's Sunni Arab community, withdrew from parliament. They have accused the Shia Arab Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, of monopolising power.
Our correspondent says attempts to stave off that crisis - the biggest the country had faced since the government was formed a year ago - appear to have failed, as Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak has now said al-Iraqiya ministers will suspend their participation in the cabinet. Attempts to stave off that initial crisis appear to have failed, says our correspondent, as Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak has now said al-Iraqiya ministers will suspend their participation in the cabinet.
The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, earlier called for urgent talks to prevent the "collapse" of the national unity government, warning that "the situation is headed towards deep crisis". The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, earlier called for talks to prevent the "collapse" of the unity government, warning that "the situation is headed towards deep crisis".
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US was urging all sides to "work to resolve differences peacefully and through dialogue in a manner consistent with the rule of law and the democratic political process".White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US was urging all sides to "work to resolve differences peacefully and through dialogue in a manner consistent with the rule of law and the democratic political process".