Reconciliation in Iraq

Dr. Hassan Bazzaz is a crisis management expert

National reconciliation between Iraq’s ethnic and religious communities is seen as a necessary precursor to stemming the country’s sectarian violence. Iraq’s Sunni and Shia factions remain deadlocked over the distribution of oil revenues, issues of federalism, and the ethnic make-up of the Iraqi government. Sectarian violence has become worse. 

Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s Shia-dominated government is viewed with suspicion and contempt by Iraq’s Sunni Arabs.

The Sunnis are not likely to accept federalism written into the constitution or to cede control of oil profits; the Shia will not accept blanket amnesty or lenient reversals of de-Baathification; and the Kurds refuse to sacrifice advances they have made on self-autonomy in the Kurdish region.

Hatem Jasim Mukhles is the chairman of the Iraqi National Movement

Political observers agree national reconciliation cannot come about without external pressure from the US. Washington, however, lacks credibility as an honest broker in Iraq among the warring factions.

In front of a live audience, Inside Iraq looks at some of these critical issues confronting national reconciliation in Iraq in this special one hour edition from Amman.

Our guests this week are:

Dr Haidar Al-Ibadi, a senior advisor to Iraqi prime minister, Dr Saleh Al-Mutlak, a leader of the Iraqi National Movement, Hatem Jasim Mukhles, the chairman of the Iraqi National Movement, and Dr Hassan Bazzaz, a crisis management expert.

Watch part one of this episode of Inside Iraq on YouTube

Watch part two of this episode of Inside Iraq on YouTube

Watch part three of this episode of Inside Iraq on YouTube

Watch part four of this episode of Inside Iraq on YouTube

This episode of Inside Iraq aired from Friday, November 30, 2007

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