Iraq election tensions stir White House mission

BAGHDAD -- An upcoming election intended to ease Iraq's sectarian rifts is instead dredging up old hostilities -- with the White House sending Vice President Joe Biden to smooth tensions between the Shiites who hold power and the Sunnis who want a greater slice of it.

Some Sunni leaders have been outraged by the Shiite-led government's political blacklist against perceived backers of Saddam Hussein's Sunni regime, and by officials in a Shiite holy city vowing to banish any Saddam loyalists before the balloting for parliament in six weeks.

The growing quarrels have pulled Washington back into power plays between the majority Shiites and the Sunnis who seek to regain a stronger political voice in the March 7 elections, which U.S. officials hope could be a milestone for reconciliation and clear the Pentagon to accelerate troop withdrawals.

Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, said Biden will visit Iraq to press the government to suspend efforts to block suspected members of Saddam's Baath Party from public jobs until after the voting. But Talabani told the Al-Mustaqbal satellite TV channel that it's unclear whether Iraq would agree, saying the government will "move according to Iraqi interests."

Talabani did not say when Biden was scheduled to arrive, but some Arab media reported it could be as early as Thursday. There was no immediate comment from the White House.

Washington views the election as a prime opportunity for Sunnis to get a larger stake in running Iraq and build alliances with the Shiite power brokers. But the tone has turned combative even before the first campaign speech.

Some Sunnis claim they are becoming victims of political bullying by the Shiite-dominated leadership before the elections. The vote will determine who will govern the country in the crucial years ahead -- with U.S. military forces departing and Iraq seeking to tap into its vast oil and gas reserves.

There have been no serious calls for a Sunni boycott -- as took place in the first post-Saddam election for lawmakers in late 2005 -- but the charges of a Shiite heavy hand could raise uncomfortable questions about the legitimacy of the vote.

"All of a sudden the tenor has changed," said Michael Hanna, an analyst on Iraqi affairs at the Century Foundation in New York. "It was supposed to be about looking ahead to a new Iraq as opposed to a throwback about sectarian politics."

Earlier this month, a committee assigned to vet candidates for ties to Saddam's Baath Party said its list had grown to 511 names. The panel has not publicly released the roster of the blackballed candidates, which could include both Sunnis and Shiites accused of links to Saddam's regime.

But at least one person -- a prominent Sunni lawmaker, Saleh al-Mutlaq -- has complained he is banned from running.

"They are pulling people back to sectarianism," he said.

The tensions were further stoked Monday after a threat by officials in the southern city of Najaf to purge the province of Baathists.

The expulsions have not been carried out and the ultimatum was seen as a response to a series of deadly bomb attacks last week in the city, which holds important Shiite shrines and has close religious ties with neighboring Shiite power Iran. Saddam's regime included Shiites, but the Najaf order was widely portrayed by Arab media as a backlash specifically targeting the few Sunnis in the province.

A Sunni lawmaker, Osama al-Nujaifi, said the actions echo "the trials of the Middle Ages when they were trying people on suspicion without any concrete evidence."

Trying to find political common ground between Sunnis and Shiites is one of the vital elements in efforts to stabilize Iraq. On Sunday, Biden called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other leaders to encourage a fair and inclusive election.

But the current pre-election discord has roots in U.S. decisions after Saddam's fall. Washington policy makers disbanded Saddam's Sunni-dominated security forces and bureaucracy as part of a top-to-bottom effort to sweep away supporters of his Baath Party -- a move which opened the door for Shiites and Kurds to claim the greatest control.

Although Sunnis have rejoined the political process in recent years, there is lingering bitterness toward al-Maliki's government.

Sunni tribal leaders claim authorities have not followed through on promises for military and police posts for Sunni militia who joined the American-led fight against insurgents in one of the crucial turning points of the war. In Baghdad, many Sunnis were driven from their neighborhoods during the height of sectarian bloodshed in 2006-2008 when Iraq was pushed dangerously close to civil war.

The March election is seen as a chance for Sunnis to gain more seats in the expanded 323-seat parliament and have a greater role in running the country.

But there is still a climate of suspicion about a resurgence of possible Saddam loyalists.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite who is seeking re-election in March, has repeatedly accused Baathists of being responsible for major bombings last year that killed hundreds in Baghdad. The Iraqi government also has strained its relations with neighboring Syria over accusations it harbors former Saddam followers who have masterminded attacks in Iraq.

Some government critics have claimed that al-Maliki has pointed the finger at Baathists to divert attention from security failures, including blasts targeting government buildings. It also may be an attempt to undermine potential Sunni challengers.

The panel overseeing the political vetting is headed by Ahmed Chalabi, a Shiite who is blamed for supplying U.S. officials with faulty intelligence on Saddam's weapons program prior to the 2003 invasion.

A senior official with the Independent High Electoral Commission, Hamdia al-Hussaini, said the banned candidates would have until the end of the week to challenge the decision. She confirmed that al-Mutlaq was on the list, but said the rest of the list will not be publicized until after the appeal process is over.

The 511 candidates constitute a little less than 10 percent of the roughly 6,500 people who were vetted. But the fact that al-Mutlaq is among the names has spread fears that Sunnis will make up the bulk of the list.

"Punishing people for their ideological past is not acceptable and it will arouse fears," said Nourdin al-Hiali, Sunni lawmaker. "Revenge will not bring good to this country and will turn the people banned from the elections as victims and martyrs."