The Sunni region is a fire under the ashes...it returns as the situation regarding the American pres

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[size=52]The Sunni region is a fire under the ashes...it returns as the situation regarding the American presence intensifies[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad/ Tamim Al-Hassan[/size]
[size=45]At a critical time, the issue of the “Sunni region,” which is described as “fire under ashes,” is raised whenever a political crisis occurs in the country.[/size]
[size=45]The accusations that spark this issue are often based on “secret meetings” taking place in some provinces with a Sunni majority, while everyone begins to disavow the idea. What is striking this time is that, according to multiple statements in this regard, it brought together two contradictory figures as the godfathers of the new region, namely the deported Speaker of Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, and the tribal leader, Hatem al-Sulaiman.[/size]
[size=45]An official in one of the Sunni parties told Al-Mada, requesting that his name be hidden, that “the accusations are not true and there is no one who wants to form a Sunni region, at least at this time.”[/size]
[size=45]The official pointed out that “what is currently taking place is a settling of scores with Muhammad al-Halbousi and the Sunni forces that did not attend last Saturday’s session regarding the withdrawal of American forces.”[/size]
[size=45]Information was leaked about a “secret meeting” in Ramadi attended by Ali Hatem Suleiman, who had just returned to Iraq after settling cases brought against him, and Ahmed Abu Risha, in addition to Al-Halbousi.[/size]
[size=45]It is assumed, according to the leaks, that the meeting had discussed reviving the idea of ​​the Sunni region, which was talked about for the first time under similar circumstances when American forces withdrew for the first time in 2011.[/size]
[size=45]In response to the “unannounced” Ramadi meeting, tribal groups in Ramadi gathered against the region’s project.[/size]
[size=45]Speaking to reporters, Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Hamad Al-Dulaimi, one of the leaders of the group, accused “external parties” regarding the region, “and it was adopted by the Taqaddum Party.”[/size]
[size=45]He said, “The project is not born today. It has been working on it for a while, and meetings were held within the governorate, as well as in Erbil, Turkey, and Jordan, with support from external parties, in order to take control of the governorate.”[/size]
[size=45]He continued, “Foreign parties are greedy for Anbar’s wealth, including oil, after studies were issued that confirmed that it contains the largest stock of oil derivatives.” He stated, “Al-Halbousi sought the help of American and Zionist companies to develop an action plan aimed at promoting the establishment of the region and allocating huge sums of money to serve this project and harnessing all capabilities to implement it on the ground.” He revealed that “a number of Anbar sheikhs and notables attended the meetings related to this matter, and rejected the idea as it is a sectarian project par excellence.”[/size]
[size=45]Sunni-Sunni disputes have intensified due to the issue of the Speaker of Parliament, as Taqadum is trying to maintain the position, while its competitors are pushing for the appointment of Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, the former Speaker of Parliament.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Halbousi responded to accusations against him personally of seeking to form the Anbar region by directing accusations in return against those he called “war merchants from the Islamist parties.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Halbousi was removed from the presidency of Parliament at a fatal time, just weeks before the local elections that took place last month, against the backdrop of a fraud case. Despite this, Al-Halbousi’s “Taqadum” party was able to obtain more than 20 seats in the elections, and was able to install a governor for Anbar.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Halbousi said in a tweet on the X website, “Anbar completely voted previously to reject the constitution; Because of its firm and permanent position on the unity of Iraq, and the position of its sheikhs and sons has not changed.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Halbousi continued: “The war merchants and seditionists from the Islamist parties are still trying to distort its image and tamper with its stability, and they will not succeed. They have forgotten the displacement, destruction, devastation, martyrs, bereaved and orphans they caused.”[/size]
[size=45]The Taqadum leader's response came at a time when controversy was escalating over the removal of American forces, and accusations were made against the Sunnis of rejecting that measure and not attending a session to legislate a law in this regard. Al-Halbousi added, “We are still waiting for the federal government to heal their wounds, complete their compensation files, rebuild cities, bring justice to the innocent, achieve social justice, and address the causes of the emergence of terrorism,” stressing that “these are the real demands of Anbar, and nothing else.”[/size]
[size=45]In addition to Al-Halbousi, it was strange that Hatem Al-Sulaiman’s name appeared in the alleged conference in which the idea of ​​a Sunni region was discussed.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sulaiman had suddenly appeared two years ago in Iraq after previous accusations of terrorism against him, and it was said at the time that he had come to be a “rival of Al-Halbousi” and with the support of some Shiite leaders.[/size]
[size=45]Nouri al-Maliki, the former Prime Minister, who had established a political partnership with Suleiman before the emergence of ISIS, denied reports of his meeting with the latter after his return in 2022.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sulaiman had entered into an alliance with the State of Law coalition in the 2010 elections, against the backdrop of Al-Maliki’s support for tribal groups against Al-Qaeda at the time.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sulaiman said in response to the recent accusations on the[/size]
[size=45]He added: “This time they claim that we are meeting to demand the region, and I say that if we wanted to, we would have done so, but we are preserving a unified Iraq.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sulaiman, who describes himself as the prince of the Dulaim clan, and as the leader of what is known as the “Iraqi Opposition Union,” was famous for his phrase, “We are coming, Baghdad,” during the spread of ISIS in Anbar in 2014.[/size]
[size=45]In addition, Ziad Al-Arar, an academic and researcher in political affairs, told Al-Mada: “The talk about the Sunni region is a talk that always exists under the ashes. Whenever a dispute occurs between the political forces in Baghdad and Anbar, it returns to the forefront.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Arar considered that part of this issue comes from “blackmail” attempts among some political forces. He also says that “there is a real desire among the Sunni public in some governorates to form a region similar to Kurdistan, due to the lack of trust between the public and the federal government.”[/size]
[size=45]The researcher in political affairs confirmed that residents of Western cities “fear that they will be transformed into second-class citizens, and that officials who are strangers to their society will be installed, as has happened several times.”[/size]
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