Arab League chief urges Iraqi parties to avoid escalation – Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has appealed to all Iraqi parties to avoid further escalation in the country’s political crisis.
He urged all Iraqi parties to prioritize the national interest, and said dialogue is the only way to solve the political crisis.
Supporters of powerful Iraqi cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr occupied Parliament on Saturday with no plan to leave, deepening a months-long political standoff.
Following the failure of last October’s elections to produce a Cabinet, the Shiite cleric’s supporters have entered the legislative chamber twice in recent days.
They oppose Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, the candidate for prime minister from a competing Shiite bloc that supports Iran.
