Maliki rejects forming a unity government, calls it 'coup against the constitution'
Agence France-Presse — Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected forming a salvation government to confront jihadists whose sweeping offensive in the country was bolstered Wednesday when Al Qaeda's Syrian franchise pledged loyalty to them at a border town.
Maliki ruled out forming a national salvation government to confront the crisis, in a televised speech less than a week before parliament is to convene following April 30 elections, describing it as a "coup against the constitution and the political process."
"It is an attempt by those who are against the constitution to eliminate the young democratic process and steal the votes of the voters," added Maliki, whose bloc won by far the most seats in the polls but fell short of an outright majority.
UPDATE:6/25/14 9:10 AM ET
Agence France-Presse — Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected forming a salvation government to confront jihadists whose sweeping offensive in the country was bolstered Wednesday when Al Qaeda's Syrian franchise pledged loyalty to them at a border town.
Maliki ruled out forming a national salvation government to confront the crisis, in a televised speech less than a week before parliament is to convene following April 30 elections, describing it as a "coup against the constitution and the political process."
"It is an attempt by those who are against the constitution to eliminate the young democratic process and steal the votes of the voters," added Maliki, whose bloc won by far the most seats in the polls but fell short of an outright majority.
UPDATE:6/25/14 9:10 AM ET
Meanwhile, a scary merger: Syria's Al Nusra Front pledges loyalty to ISIL
Agence France-Presse — Al Qaeda's Syrian offshoot issued a loyalty pledge on Wednesday to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant at a tinderbox town on the Iraqi border, a monitor said. The merger is significant as it opens the way for ISIL to take control of both sides of the border at Albu Kamal in Syria and Al-Qaim in Iraq, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
ISIL — which aspires to create an Islamic state that straddles Iraq and Syria — has spearheaded an lightening jihadist offensive that has captured swathes of territory north and west of Baghdad this month.
After months of clashes between the two sides, Al Qaeda's official Syrian arm the Al Nusra Front "pledged loyalty to ISIL" in Albu Kamal, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"The pledge comes amid advances by ISIL in Deir Ezzor province" in eastern Syria on the Iraqi border, Abdel Rahman told AFP. An ISIL jihadist confirmed the reports on Twitter, and posted a photograph showing an Egyptian Al-Nusra Front commander shaking hands with a ISIL leader of Chechen origin.
Although both ISIL and the Al Nusra are rooted in Al-Qaeda, the two have been rivals for much of the time that ISIL has been involved in Syria's civil war since spring last year.
"They are rivals, but both groups are jihadist and extremists. This move will create tension now with other rebel groups, including Islamists, in the area," Abdel Rahman said.
Last month, the US recognized Al Nusra Front and ISIL as separate terrorist groups. GlobalPost's Priyanka Boghani wrote:
Agence France-Presse — Al Qaeda's Syrian offshoot issued a loyalty pledge on Wednesday to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant at a tinderbox town on the Iraqi border, a monitor said. The merger is significant as it opens the way for ISIL to take control of both sides of the border at Albu Kamal in Syria and Al-Qaim in Iraq, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
ISIL — which aspires to create an Islamic state that straddles Iraq and Syria — has spearheaded an lightening jihadist offensive that has captured swathes of territory north and west of Baghdad this month.
After months of clashes between the two sides, Al Qaeda's official Syrian arm the Al Nusra Front "pledged loyalty to ISIL" in Albu Kamal, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"The pledge comes amid advances by ISIL in Deir Ezzor province" in eastern Syria on the Iraqi border, Abdel Rahman told AFP. An ISIL jihadist confirmed the reports on Twitter, and posted a photograph showing an Egyptian Al-Nusra Front commander shaking hands with a ISIL leader of Chechen origin.
Although both ISIL and the Al Nusra are rooted in Al-Qaeda, the two have been rivals for much of the time that ISIL has been involved in Syria's civil war since spring last year.
"They are rivals, but both groups are jihadist and extremists. This move will create tension now with other rebel groups, including Islamists, in the area," Abdel Rahman said.
Last month, the US recognized Al Nusra Front and ISIL as separate terrorist groups. GlobalPost's Priyanka Boghani wrote:
The State Department noted that both
groups were already designated as foreign terrorist organizations for
several months, but "differences over management and tactics have led to
an increase in violence between the two groups."
But now, ISIL's insurgency appears to be rekindling fractured relationships between the region's militant groups.
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