Maliki responsible for delay with security ministries – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A Legislature from the Middle Alliance have shouldered Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, with responsibility for delays in the settlement of his security cabinet posts, calling on him to settle the dossier soonest. “Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, bears highest responsibility towards the settlement of his Cabinet’s security ministries dossier, due to his post as the Head of the Government, who should accelerate the settlement of the dossier,” Mohammed Iqbal told IraqiNews.com news agency. Iqbal called for the necessity to settle the security cabinet posts dossier, saying: “the issue must come to an end, because a lot of matters depend on this dossier, including the formation of the National Council for Strategic Policies (NCSP) and the issue of the U.S. troops departure from Iraq, along with the problem of balancing.” Differences have taken place since months over the candidates for security cabinet posts, that are still vacant and were held by Prime Minister Maliki on acting basis since Dec. 21 last year, especially the Interior and Defense Ministers posts, with the first being the share of Maliki’s National Coalition and the second of al-Iraqiya Bloc, led by Iyad Allawi, with each side rejecting the candidate of the other. SKH (TI)/SR 472