Written question asked by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Thursday, 8 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 March 2012. It was answered by Lord Hague of Richmond (Conservative) on Monday, 19 March 2012 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the (a) political situation in Iraq and (b) likelihood of continuing conflict between Shia and Sunni political groups.

Answer: We remain concerned about the political situation in Iraq, against the background of allegations of involvement in terrorism against Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi and tensions between Prime Minister Al-Maliki and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlaq. We support the aims of the initiative by President Talabani to convene a dialogue among all blocs to resolve their political differences. We welcome the return to government and parliament by members of the Iraqiyya bloc, and urge political leaders representing all Iraq's communities to unite to deliver solutions to the many urgent and pressing issues faced by all Iraqis.

Secondary information