Iraqi PM Tells Kurds To Hand Over Fugitive Vice President

Iraq’s prime minister told Kurdish authorities Wednesday to hand over the Sunni vice president, who fled to the semiautonomous region to avoid an arrest warrant on charges he ran hit squads targeting government officials.

Tariq Al-Hashemi, Iraq’s top Sunni politician, said Monday the allegations by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, are fabricated.

“If they will not hand him over or let him flee or escape, this will lead to problems,” the Iraqi premier said.

According to the AP, he blamed al-Maliki of concentrating power in his hands and foiling national reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites. “I do not allow myself and others to bargain over Iraqi blood,” al-Maliki said.

There has been speculation that al-Hashemi may try to flee the country to Turkey. Al-Hashemi denied charges he paid his bodyguards to kill government officials. Most of the accusations date back to the height of the internal war in 2006 and 2007.