Baghdad, Dec 20 (ANI): Fears of a political crisis in Iraq have emerged after the country's Shia Muslim Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of the Sunni vice president Tareq al-Hashemi on terrorism charges within hours of the final departure of US troops from the war-torn country.
Further escalating tensions, Maliki also asked parliament to hold a no-confidence vote to allow him to dismiss Saleh al-Mutlak, the Sunni Deputy Prime Minister, who angered Maliki by describing him as a "dictator" during a television interview last week.
According to the Telegraph, Hashemi was briefly detained after being escorted of a plane at Baghdad's airport, where he was attempting to catch a flight to the Kurdish city of Irbil, prompting speculation that he was attempting to flee.
Although Hashemi was released, three of his bodyguards were arrested for "suspected terrorist activity".
Following frantic negotiations brokered by the United States and Kurdish political leaders, Maliki was said to have agreed not to implement the arrest warrant for now.
But last night Hashemi was barred was from travelling overseas shortly before the arrest warrant was formally issued.
Tanks were also deployed outside his home, as well as outside the houses of Mutlak and a third senior Sunni politician, the paper said.
According to a senior Iraqi official, Maliki was provoking a confrontation based on long-standing suspicions. In doing so he had ignited Sunni fears that the Shia would seek to exercise untrammelled control when the American's left.
"This is a dangerous escalation that is resulting in widespread arrest and intimidation of opposition bloc supporters. There is more to come and Iraq will struggle to cope with real political problems," the paper quoted the official as saying. (ANI)
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