Sunni Lawmakers to Boycott Iraqi Parliament Over Shiite Militias
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Version 0 of 1. BAGHDAD — After the abduction and murder of a Sunni tribal leader last week, Sunni lawmakers, in an effort to pressure the government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to curb the growing influence of Shiite militias, said Sunday that they would boycott sessions of Parliament. The boycott of Parliament was supposed to last a week, lawmakers said. Sunni political leaders have blamed the militias for the death of the tribal leader Sheikh Qasim Sweidan al-Janabi, who was abducted, along with his son, a nephew and several bodyguards, from a checkpoint in southern Baghdad on Friday. No one has claimed responsibility for the killings, but suspicion fell on the militias when the bodies of Mr. Janabi, his son and the bodyguards were found dumped in the Shiite-majority neighborhood of Shaab, lawmakers said. Mr. Janabi’s nephew, Zaid al-Janabi, a member of Parliament, was beaten and released. The abduction and murders have added fuel to a national debate about the Shiite militias, several of which are playing a key role in the government’s fight against Islamic State militants. Supporters of the militias say their participation has been critical in driving back the Sunni extremists in several parts of the country. At a time when Mr. Abadi is facing pressure to win the trust of Sunnis, some Shiite militiamen have been accused of inflaming sectarian tensions by committing atrocities in Sunni areas. In a report released in New York on Sunday, Human Rights Watch said that abuses by militias in Sunni areas had “escalated” in recent months. Witnesses interviewed by the group spoke of widespread kidnappings and house burnings by the militias, and in some cases, executions. Mr. Janabi, who was from the town of Latifiya, south of Baghdad, was traveling from there to the capital in a convoy on Friday when gunmen wearing military uniforms stopped them at a checkpoint, according to lawmakers and security officials. After the group’s identity cards were checked, Mr. Janabi, his son and at least six bodyguards were taken away in one car. His nephew was taken away in a separate car. Pictures of the bodies that circulated on the Internet appeared to show that the victims had been shot in the head. It was not clear why Mr. Janabi had become a target. People who knew him said that he was a supporter of political reconciliation between Shiites and Sunnis. Recently, he had been working with militia leaders who helped drive Islamic State fighters from the town of Jurf al-Sakhar on a plan to allow displaced Sunni residents to return to their homes. “He was a reasonable man. His aim was to bring people together,” said Maysoon al-Damluji, a lawmaker from a secular-leaning political bloc. “There are people who don’t want to see political reconciliation in Iraq.” |