Handing over al-Hashemi “out of the question” – KRG president’s chief of staff

Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat – In the latest development in the crisis that has embroiled the Iraqi political scene this week, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on the Kurdish authorities on Wednesday to hand over Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi to face charges that his office was responsible for running death squads, a charge al-Hashemi strongly denies.

Speaking to a news conference yesterday, Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi strongly denied all the accusations made against him, stressing that he has not committed any “sins” against Iraq, whilst he described the charges against him as being “fabricated”.

Talking to reporters during a televised news conference held in the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil on Tuesday, the Iraqi Vice President said “I’m shocked by all of these things…I swear by God that I haven’t committed any sins or any wrongdoings against any Iraq, whether today or tomorrow, and this is my pledge to God.”

He also claimed that the arrest warrant was part of a campaign to “embarrass” him and the Iraqiya bloc, saying “[Prime Minister] al-Maliki is behind the whole issue. The country is in the hands of al-Maliki. All the efforts that have been exerted to reach national reconciliation and to unite Iraq are now gone. So yes, I blame al-Maliki.”

Whilst al-Maliki on Wednesday told a press conference “we ask our brothers in the Kurdistan region to take responsibility and hand the wanted person over to the judiciary.  His running to another state would create problems.”  He added “we will be sure to provide a fair trial for Tareq al-Hashemi.”

Al-Hashemi has so far refused to return to Baghdad to face charges, claiming that the Iraqi judiciary has lost its autonomy, however he has said that he would be prepared to appear before an independent judiciary in the Kurdistan Region.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Chief of Staff to the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Dr. Fuad Hussein, stressed that “the Kurdistan Region is prepared to provide a fair trial over this issue, if the judicial authority in Iraq approves this, because the Kurdistan Region is part of Iraq.  If the legal procedures allow this trial to be held in the Kurdistan Region, we are ready to cooperate with the Iraqi judiciary”.

Dr. Hussein added “this issue is not political, even if we have a different stance to that of other parties, this is a purely legal issue to be resolved by the Iraqi judiciary and we are ready to cooperate in this regard”.

As for the legal proceedings that have been taken against the Iraqi Vice President, Dr. Fuad Hussein stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat “Mr. al-Hashemi is the Vice President of the Republic of Iraq, and there are legal and constitutional procedures that must be taken into account when any action is taken against him.”

As for the possibility of the Kurdistan Region complying with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s demands and handing over al-Hashemi to the Iraqi judicial authorities, Dr. Hussein said “to the best of my knowledge, al-Hashemi has been charged but not convicted, and there is a big difference between those who are in this situation and those who are convicted criminals. Therefore, handing him over to the Iraqi authorities is out of the question”.

Asked about whether al-Hashemi will remain in the Kurdistan Region under the protection of the President of the KRG, Dr. Hussein told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Mr. al-Hashemi came to Erbil to meet [KRG] President Barzani in his capacity as Vice President of Iraq; he is currently a guest of the presidency. It is his right to stay for however long he wants, in accordance with his own personal circumstances”.

The Baghdad Operational Command confirmed yesterday that the “security forces are obliged to implement the arrest warrant against the accused Tariq al-Hashemi, in all regions without exception”.

The Chief of Staff to the President of the KRG, Dr. Fuad Hussein, also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Iraq’s crises grow by the day, and the country today is experiencing a highly dangerous political, security and administrative crisis”.

He stressed that “these events will naturally have an impact upon the Kurdistan Region, whether positively or negatively. Thus, the Kurdistan Region is closely following all the current developments in Baghdad, and will have a position on any significant changes and developments in the political situation in Iraq”.

KRG President Massoud Barzani yesterday met with al-Hashemi, and a brief statement issued by the KRG presidency said that the two leaders discussed the general political situation in Iraq, particularly the events that have occurred over the past two days.