Tarek Hachemi: Shia militias put Sunni partisans between two choices: leaving or being killed

Forced into exile in Turkey for two years, former Iraqi’s vice-president Tarek Hachemi talks about reasons behind bloodshed in his country.

You are leading an international campaign against attacks on Sunni partisans in Iraq. Why did the sectarian conflict reach that bloody level?

Sectarian terrorist militia perpetrated the most horrible crimes including live killing, to make people starving, to burn mosques, to steal properties and to rape women. A dirty sectarian war is taking place. It aims at pushing Sunni partisans to choose between leaving the country or to be killed.

Why did the former experience of political coexistence fail in ending sectarian division in society?

My personal experience may be an example. Militias receive orders from Iran. They killed three brothers of mine in few months before and after I had been appointed as a vice-president. I did not call for revenge because I wanted to be an example of forgiveness. I proposed a big project to end the sectarian character in the State. I want it to be a citizenship State. While a large part of Arab Sunni partisans called for boycotting the political process as long as the US occupation was still there, I said: no. Legitimate resistance should stand by us in the political process. This cost us a rude hostile position against me. I was accused of terrorism and I got seven death sentences in absentia. What happened to Tarek Hachemi is a clear message to all the Sunni partisans.

Some propose a transition government to represent all the protagonists or to hold elections under international supervision.

Nothing can be done as Iran still has direct control over Iraqi decisions, security, political and economic institutions. This domination fuels crisis as a means to remain strong without respecting laws. If we do not find a solution to this situation, no change neither reform can be done. Arab and Muslims should show a clear and strict position. Iran turns a deaf ear to laws and sovereignty. Weeks ago, a half million Iranians passed across Iraqi borders without showing any identity document under the pretext of visiting Shia holy places. Many of them are homeless and no one knows whether they joined militias sponsored by Iran. So, we have to put an end to this. Iraqis would then hold a dialogue without any exclusion. They would answer this question: do they really believe in coexistence? If the answer is yes, they will move to examine a form for this coexistence.

How do you consider the crisis between Iraq and Turkey as the latter deployed some of its soldiers in Northern Iraq?

It is a baseless noise. Iraq brought 15 foreign armies to its land when it was not capable of defending the State. Turkey is now targeted by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party settled on the Iraqi land. ISIS also keeps an eye on Turkey due to its position towards the Syrian crisis. Iraq can do nothing to it. There is a convention between Turkey and Iraq but it is not respected. This pushes me to say that there are other accounts regardless sovereignty.