Recently al-Maliki’s government has offered Bashiqa’s rural Shabak community – who usually religiously identify with the Shiite Muslims, of which al-Maliki is one as is most of his ruling coalition – the chance to form an all-Shabak brigade, purportedly to protect the minority group from extremist attacks (read Sunni Muslim extremist) attacks in Mosul.
That falls in line with al-Maliki’s recent policy of putting his stamp on disputed territories by creating new army brigades that come under his office’s command, such as the controversial Tigris force in Kirkuk, which has been at the root of many of the recent problems between Iraqi Kurdistan and Baghdad.
Recently al-Maliki also suggested creating a Northern Command Council in Erbil to protect Iraqi sovereignty against Turkish incursions into the country; the Turkish forces enter Iraq, semi-illegally, to root out Kurdish fighting for Kurdish independence in Turkey – the conflict is a long one and many on both sides have died.
In regard to the Shabak brigade, most, if not all, in Bashiqa opposed its creation and several local leaders went to Baghdad to express this. Al-Maliki raised the idea of the Shabak brigade again in early October and that resulted in protests against the “minority militia”.
However after the two car bombs were discovered in Bashiqa’s Shabak areas several weeks ago, support for just such an armed force has grown. While it is yet to be determined who was responsible for the bombs, the agenda they – whether intentionally or coincidentally - serve is clear.
People in Bashiqa are acutely aware that they are being fought over by Erbil and Baghdad and that the instability resulting from these bombs could push them one way or the other.
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