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Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday offered general amnesty in a rare conciliatory move to undermine support for militants; large swathes of Iraqi territory has been overrun by a militant offensive which threatens to tear the country apart.
Maliki’s offer comes after a ridiculous opening to the parliament, despite leaders all over the world urging fractious politicians in Iraq to unite so that they could combat insurgents as the Iraqi military struggles to gain ground. Leaders across the globe have warned Iraqi politicians that there is no time to waste as the militant group leading the advance called on skilled professionals to throng to its newly declared pan-Islamic state.
Maliki announced his move on his weekly televised address. The move appears to be an attempt to crack the broad alliance of militants, loyalists of Saddam Hussein and anti-government forces.
“I announce the provision of amnesty for all tribes and all people who were involved in actions against the state” but who now “return to their senses”, except those involved in killings, Maliki said.
It is not immediately clear on how many people the general amnesty will affect, but experts say that some form of political reconciliation is necessary to persuade Sunni Arabs annoyed with the pre-dominantly Shi’ite government, to turn against militants of their sect – most of the Sunni Arab minority in Iraq do not support the militant group Islamic State (IS) but, according to analysts, feel anger over perceived mistreatment by the government, and are less likely to work with the authorities.
Only a day prior to Maliki’s announcement, the first session of the Council of Representatives plunged into utter chaos and ended in disarray, with lawmakers trading threats and heckles. Many Kurdish and Sunni deputies did not return after a break, thereby causing the parliament to lose quorum.