Underscoring his growing desperation, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered the release of 2,000 Shi’ite prisoners held in a maximum security prison in the north, many of them sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
The plan is to have the Shi’ites go off and fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has taken over large portions of the nation’s north and west.
The move is likely to increase tensions with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), where many of the prisoners were being held, as well as Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority, since the prisoners are being unleashed on their towns.
Large numbers of Iraqi Shi’ites are already been organized into volunteer militias to fight against ISIS, and it remains unclear if the prisoners will be a separate faction or will just be folded into these militias.
Adding more fuel to the fire.
I wonder if Maliki has the cajones to stand out in public anymore – or whether he stays safely ensconced in his palace surrounded by the faithful?
Work release programs!
But Ditz appears misguided when postulating concerns over Kurdistan and "Sunnis" areas of release. The article clearly indicates the released convicts are being sent back to Baghdad —
The better question should be wondering if these prisoners were members/leaders of street gangs/organized crime, etc and are being sent back to reestablish themselves into "brute squads".
Many people keep talking ot Shitti majority , But if one counts the Kurds as Sunni which they are there actually is a Sunni majority . Should have been able to run a democracy with fairly close to equal strength on both sides .Somehow the Christians have about disappeared , Looks like maybe that is what the United States was after Seeing how the Christians are not even allowed to mention Jesus name even in the U S military
Is Antiwar.com spreading ugly war propaganda intended to incite genocid against Shia?
My impression here is that Antiwar.com is spreading here Kurdish war propaganda which is likely factually false and intended to boost hatred against Maliki and Shia in Iraq, so that the KRG will have an advantage in declaring independancy based on oil sales to Israel via Turkey.
I find it a horrible shame, to read such a bold and bloody assertion here at Antiwar.com unreflected as "news".