Arrest warrant issued for Iraqi vice-president

Iraq’s vice president is a wanted man.

Authorities in Baghdad have issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Muslim Tareq al-Hashemi.

He is under investigation for suspected links to assassinations and bombings.

Observers say the issuing of the warrant is likely to fuel sectarian tensions in Iraq, only days after the last US troops withdrew from the country.

They also say there is now a risk that a power-sharing deal between rival Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs could unravel.

Hashemi has not responded to the allegations against him. It is reported that he is currently in Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region in the north.

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