24 October 2010Maliki supporters say WikiLeaks revelations a plot
Maliki's supporters are convinced the WikiLeaks release of secret US military documents is a plot to undermine his bid to stay in power following March elections. "Maliki's office destabilised by WikiLeaks revelations," ran a headline in Sunday's independent Al-Mada daily.
The leaked documents reportedly include allegations of state-sanctioned torture under Maliki and alleged links to "death squads."
"The documents published by WikiLeaks were carefully chosen" and "the moment chosen to expose them reflects political motivations," said Al-Bayan newspaper, which is close to the premier.
He has been fighting to secure a second term after narrowly losing March 7 elections in which his Shiite State of Law alliance lost by two seats to the Sunni-dominated Iraqiya bloc of ex-premier Iyad Allawi.
Neither has been able to muster the majority needed to form a government, despite back-door negotiations with Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs that also won seats.
The pressure on Maliki mounted on Sunday when Iraq's supreme court ordered the parliament to end the stalemate by choosing a speaker, the first step to forming a government.
WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange said on Saturday that the unauthorised release of nearly 400,000 classified US military documents on the war in Iraq was "about the truth."
But Maliki supporters are convinced it is all about hurting him.
"It is a media campaign against the state and the political process carried out by several groups like the Baathists, regional forces and the new political order," said MP Hassan al-Sinaid, who is close to Maliki.
Allawi was a former member of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party, and looks to Saudi Arabia for support.
"This is all in the past," Sinaid said of the allegations, adding that "in six months this business will be forgotten."
Ordinary Iraqis who support Maliki are convinced that the allegations against him are false.
"This information is false and this site lies by publishing these documents years after the incidents," said civil servant Raad Abdel Ghaffar, 42.
"This site wants to sow discord at a time when the political parties are about to agree."
Maliki's office said in a statement on Saturday: "There are some political interests behind the media campaign who are trying to use the documents against national leaders, especially the prime minister."
Nearly 400,000 US military documents made available by WikiLeaks on Friday chronicle claims of abuse by Iraqi security forces, while others appear to show US troops did nothing to stop state-sanctioned torture, rape and murder under Maliki.
The statement from Maliki's office did not address the question of the documents' veracity, nor did it detail who was supposedly trying to discredit him or how.
But it did say that the "the timing and style of the documents... raise a big question mark," suggesting that foreign outside hands aimed to sabotage the prime minister.
Al-Jazeera television said the leaked papers included US Army reports about Maliki "and allegations of his association with death squads."
After coming to power in 2006, he created security units loyal to him that Iraqis referred to as "dirty forces," for their heavy-handed treatment of suspects and detainees.
"It is possible that these documents are being used to topple certain politicians," the independent Al-Alam daily said. "But what about Iraqi blood?" it asked. "Justice for the victims is a necessity."
http://www.france24.com/en/20101024-maliki-supporters-say-wikileaks-revelations-plot
