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Iraq's fugitive VP Hashemi urges Iraqis to oppose Maliki

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1 of 17. Iraqi security personnel inspect the site of a car bomb attack in Basra, 420 km (261 miles) southeast of Baghdad September 9, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Atef Hassan

BAGHDAD | Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:19am EDT

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on Monday urged Iraqis to oppose Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who he accused of stoking sectarian tensions, a day after a Baghdad court sentenced him to death in absentia.

Hashemi, a senior Sunni politician, fled Iraq earlier this year after authorities sought his arrest on charges he ran a deathsquad. He accused Maliki of a politicial witch-hunt and refused to stand trial in a court he said was biased.

"My people, don't give Maliki and those who stand behind him the chance," Hashemi told reporters in Turkey. "They want to make this a sectarian strife. Oppose his conspiracies and provocation calmly... People should not stay silent on the unprecedented oppression in Iraq."

(Reporting by Aseel Kami; writing by Patrick Markey)
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Comments (6)
neahkahnie wrote:
I’m wondering what al Maliki thinks he’s accomplishing by condemning al Hashemi to death? More killings? More sectarian violence? A trip to heaven and all those virgins? Or is he just insane?

Sep 09, 2012 10:28pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
TruthMonitor wrote:
All this terrorism is being committed by Sunnis.

Sep 09, 2012 11:01pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
amibovvered wrote:
The weatern policy of divide and conquer in Iraq has its consequences, clearly.

Sep 09, 2012 11:17pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
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