IRAQ - Sunnis Threaten To Quit Govt.

The IAF on July 25 threatened to quit its membership of the government, in an indication of a widening Sunni-Shi'ite rift complicating efforts to secure national reconciliation. The IAF said in a press conference it would pull out of the cabinet altogether in a week unless it freed security detainees who had not been charged with crimes, and acted against Shi'ite militias. But the IAF has issued similar threats in the past, and its six ministers are already observing a boycott of the cabinet, so it is unclear whether this declaration indicates any significant move.

The IAF has in recent months witnessed an internal debate between members who want to replace PM Maliki, who is accused of not doing enough to prevent the Shi'ite-infiltrated security forces and militias from targeting Sunni civilians, and those who think it is best to work from inside his government.

The IAF has objected to an arrest warrant issued against the Sunni minister of culture on charges of ordering the assassination of a fellow Iraqi politician, and to efforts to replace the Sunni Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. Regardless of whether the IAF follows through on its threat, the continuing tensions will make it difficult for parliament to pass a series of laws Washington hopes will smooth sectarian tensions and coax Sunni insurgents to join the political process.