Iraqi government criticizes Sunni threat

The Iraqi government sharply criticized the country's largest Sunni Arab bloc Friday over its threat to quit the ruling coalition, with the Kurdish president calling the move "unacceptable" and the government spokesman dubbing it "blackmail."

President Jalal Talabani also said the Iraqi Accordance Front should have discussed its demands with the country's political leadership in private rather than publicizing them.

"It's an unacceptable position," Talabani said in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra television, explaining that announcing the demands to the media meant a public spat with the government. He conceded, however, that the Accordance Front's demands were "mostly fair" and acknowledged some government failures, which he did not identify.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government also criticized the Accordance Front's threat, although the Shiite leader himself issued no public word on the subject.

The Sunni Arab bloc announced Wednesday it was suspending its membership in al-Maliki's government for now, but would quit it altogether if its demands were not met in a week's time.

The 11 demands include a pardon for security detainees not charged with specific crimes, a firm commitment to human rights and the participation of all coalition partners in the handling of security issues.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh contended the criticism contained many "distortions" and amounted to an attempt to hinder the political process.

"The policy of threats, pressure and blackmail is useless," al-Dabbagh said in a four-page statement, which charged that the Front, which has six Cabinet members and 44 of parliament's 275 seats, has contributed to some of the policies it criticized.

A Shiite lawmaker who sat in on meetings held by the prime minister over the past two days said he appeared ready to replace the Accordance Front's ministers if they quit.

"I have a long line of candidates ready to join the government," the lawmaker quoted al-Maliki as saying in one meeting. The lawmaker spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share with the media what al-Maliki said in private.