Iraqi PM says crackdown shows he's not sectarian

By Waleed Ibrahim and Aseel Kami

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister said on Monday a crackdown on Shi'ite militias proved his government was not sectarian, in the face of persistent accusations by Sunni Arabs that he has favoured Shi'ites since taking office.

Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite Islamist, ordered an operation against Shi'ite militias in the southern city of Basra in late March to break their grip on Iraq's hub for oil exports.

The offensive sparked fierce resistance from the Mehdi Army militia of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. While fighting with security forces eased in Basra within a week, clashes with Shi'ite gunmen raged in the cleric's Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City until an agreement last weekend to halt fighting.

"The events of the past weeks have proven that we are neutral, not biased, that we did not take the side of this party or this sect against another," Maliki said of his Shi'ite-led government in a speech to parliament.

"We have also proven there is no security for any sect unless other sects can be guaranteed their security."

Since becoming prime minister in May 2006, Maliki has faced constant criticism from minority Sunni Arabs that he has promoted the interests of majority Shi'ites ahead of the country's other sectarian and ethnic groups.

Sadr's movement in parliament and the ruling Shi'ite alliance reached an agreement on Saturday to end fighting in Sadr City and allow aid to reach the slum's 2 million residents.

However, sporadic clashes continued, indicating some gunmen claiming loyalty to Sadr ignored the deal. It has long been unclear how much control the anti-American Sadr has over some of the tens of thousands of gunmen who profess allegiance to him.