Sadr movement's prominent figure escapes assassination in Iraq

An outstanding leader of the Iraqi Shiite Sadr Movement survived an assassination attempt, although his companion was killed in the attack in Central Iraq Sunday night. Hazim Al-A'araji, a prominent Sadr Movement leader, was attacked by unknown assailants who used a weapon equipped with silencer in al-Kazemiya city last night. Al-A'araji's companion, Zargham Abu Ali, was killed in the attack. The attempt on A'araji's life came only a day after the advisor to the Iraqi defense minister was assassinated by unknown armed men in Mosul, a city in the Northern province of Nainawa. The advisor, Major General Ahmed Ebrahim Ali, was shot dead near a Mosul bazaar by unknown assailants on Saturday. Reports also said that one of Ali's security guards was killed in the attack. Iraq has in recent months turned into the scene of political conflicts and unrests in a number of provinces. Regional observers blame certain Arab countries of the region for the chaos. Several anti-government demonstrations have been held in Iraq since December 23, 2012, when bodyguards of Finance Minister Rafie al-Issawi were arrested on terrorism-related charges. Also in January, a senior Iraqi legislator called on the Baghdad government to lodge a complaint with the UN and the Arab League against Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for stirring and meddling in the recent unrests in Iraq's al-Anbar province. "There are some pieces of information showing that Saudi Arabia and Qatar support the rallies in Iraq and that the rallies are planned and financed by Turkey," Aliya Nassif said in a statement at the time. Iraq's al-Nakhil news agency quoted a security official as saying that after the arrest of Issawi's bodyguards, several groups affiliated to the regional states, specially Qatar, paid huge sums to their sympathizers in Anbar, Salaheddin and Nineveh provinces to stage rallies against the Iraqi government. Ouraq al-Khalij newspaper also informed that Doha is staunchly supporting Issawi for taking the leadership of Sunni protestors in Iraq. The paper said Qatari officials had contacted a large number of their agents and hirelings in Iraq in recent days to coordinate the protests, adding that even the mottoes chanted against Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki government have been dictated by Doha.