Iraq In 2014: Back To Civil War? -- Jamie Tarabay, Al Jazeera
Fears grow that elections next year could re-ignite sectarian tensions
As Iraq closes out one of its bloodiest years since the 2003 U.S. invasion, fears are mounting that the national elections next April will foreshadow more violence and perhaps even another descent into the sectarian conflict that enveloped the country and cost tens of thousands of lives.
These will be the first national elections since the U.S. military withdrawal in 2011. Then, violence was at a relative lull, and reconciliation between ethnic groups seemed to be within reach. Since that time, however, violent attacks have sharply increased. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is under pressure from his allies in and outside Iraq to demonstrate inclusiveness in his government, and his actions after the virtually certain victory for his Shia bloc will be critical.
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My Comment: Iraq is a nation state that is composed of three distinct sectarian groups .... Sunnis, Shiites, and the Kurds. At the moment there is no political consensus among these groups, and with the government of Al-Maliki showing no interest in reversing this course .... I predict that the death toll in 2013 of 7,818 civilians will be surpassed by the summer of 2014.
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