Sunni leader accuses Abadi of using IS war, Kurdistan disputes for political gain

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi failed to achieve national reconciliation in the country, but instead used the nation's challenges for personal political gain, a Sunni leader said on Friday.

Atheel al-Nujaifi, former Nineveh Governor and head of the United Iraq Party criticized Abadi for making mistakes that have contributed to the re-emergence of terrorism and violence in the country.

Nujaifi, the brother of current Iraqi Vice-President Osama al-Nujaifi, stated that in the very beginning of the IS war, Abadi did not rely on the people whose areas were controlled by the jihadist group to fight back, and thus lost the opportunity to align with the national leaders in the region.

Iraq announced the final victory over the IS by the end of 2017, three years after fierce fighting against the jihadist group that damaged the infrastructure and economy of the country.

“Second - [Abadi] did not accept the opening of the post-IS file at the very beginning of the battle and thus, lost the opportunity for national dialogue in the stage of sacrifice and instead left it to the stage of gains,” Nujaifi stated on his official Facebook page, believing the post-IS plan was crucial in before Mosul liberation.

Kurdish leaders, including the former President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani, have repeatedly stated that they emphasized the need for a practical post-IS plan in Nineveh Province before the military operation began, but that both Baghdad and the US-led coalition disagreed.

Atheel al-Nujaifi was the governor of Nineveh from April 2009 until May 2015. He was removed from his post following the emergence of IS in Mosul and surrounding provinces in northern Iraq.

The Sunni leader also criticized Abadi for creating the political crisis with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region at a time that Iraq needs national reconciliation the most.

“Third – the effects of the internal political crisis such as crisis with #Kurdistan in the time of need for national unity [in Iraq].”

Ties between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq have considerably deteriorated since last year’s Sep. 25 referendum on independence, which saw 93 percent of the voters supporting statehood.

Listing the fourth mistake, Nujaifi mentioned that the Iraqi Premier ignored the requirements of the US-led coalition in the fight against the IS and the need of a realistic reconstruction process, though did not articulate what this process should be.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held on May 12 across Iraq, just as it faces deep division as a result of both political and economic turmoil.

Editing by John J. Catherine