Inside Story

Will IS campaign broaden sectarian divide?

Sunnis believed to have helped the Islamic State group are reportedly subject to revenge.

The new Iraqi prime minister if facing a double-edged challenge – he has promised to put in place inclusive policies that involve Sunnis, who say they have been marginalised by his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki.

But the campaign against the Islamic State group is only making his job harder. Shia militias, helped by Iranian elements, are said to have attacked Sunnis for allegedly helping and providing shelter for the group’s fighters.

The move is seen by many as exacerbating the already bad sectarian landscape in war-torn Iraq.

So, what does that all mean for Iraq’s future? And is the new government able to properly deal with the issue?

Presenter: Jane Dutton

Guests:

Alaa Makki , a former member of parliament in Iraq

Ahmed Rushdi, a political analyst and director of the House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation. 

Mowaffak al-Rubaie, a former national security adviser in Iraq and member of Shia National Alliance Coalition.