BAGHDAD: Iraq's prime minister said Saturday that insurgents will likely intensify their attacks in the run-up to January national elections in an attempt to destroy national unity and political stability.
A flurry of recent bombings has sparked fears that insurgents could re-ignite the sectarian fighting that nearly tore the country apart two years ago, while also raising questions about the ability of Iraqi security forces to maintain stability.
"Terrorists are increasing their attacks here and there because they recognize that we are about to have a political breakthrough," Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki told Shiite tribal members during a meeting in Baghdad.
"We have taken big steps during a difficult period, and there are still more steps to take to overcome the remaining obstacles," he said.
Al-Maliki warned Iraqis there would be "decisive battles" with insurgents in the months leading up to the January elections when Iraqis will cast ballots for the 275-member Parliament and prime minister.
US military commanders have said tensions between Iraq's Arabs and Kurdish minority pose a greater long-term threat to the country's stability than the current insurgency. The two groups have long been at odds over claims on oil and land within Iraq.
Despite the recent attacks, security forces Saturday removed concrete blast walls from a major road in northern Baghdad's primarily Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, a former Al-Qaeda stronghold, as part of plan to remove most of the barriers by mid-September to ease congestion and improve the appearance of streets.
Azamiyah residents were often the victims of retaliatory mortar attacks by Shiite militants following bombings blamed on Sunni insurgents in 2006 and 2007. The neighborhood was one of the first in Baghdad to have a concrete wall built around it to protect it from attacks.
Also Saturday, Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi said he supported giving Iraqi journalists the right to work without fear of being sued. The comments came a day after Iraqi journalists took to the streets in Baghdad to protest what they said were government efforts to prevent a strong independent press.
