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Iraq vice president raises prospect of fleeing country
Tareq al-Hashemi, the vice president of Iraq, who is charged with running a death squad, has said he will not go to Baghdad to stand trial as he raised the prospect of fleeing the country. Mr Hashemi, holed up at an official guesthouse of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in the country's autonomous Kurdish region, acknowledged his guards may have carried out attacks, but he has steadfastly denied any involvement.The warrant against Hashemi, issued nearly a week ago, has been the focus of a political row between Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, which is a part of his national unity government and of which Hashemi is a member. Asked if he would return to Baghdad to face trial, Mr Hashemi told AFP: "Of course not." He attributed his refusal to travel to the capital to poor security and politicisation of the justice system. He said most of his guards had been arrested and had their weapons confiscated, adding that "there is no security for the vice president. How can I come back to Baghdad if I cannot secure myself?" "The Iraqi judicial council is under the control and the influence of the central government, and this is a big problem," Hashemi added in a one-hour interview during which he was surrounded by unarmed guards. "That is why I asked to move the case to Kurdistan. ... Justice here will not be politicised." Posted by: tipper 2011-12-26 |
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