Iraqi PM views Al-Fakkah dispute with Iran, Cairo visit, oil contracts, election.

Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic, government-sponsored television station run by the Iraqi Media Network, at 1909 gmt on 27 December broadcasts on its "Exclusive Interview" programme a recorded 46-minute interview with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki by Karim Hammadi in Baghdad on 27 December.

Hammadi begins by asking Al-Maliki to comment on the anniversary of the "martyrdom" of Imam Al-Husayn. He replies that the imam sacrificed his life and the life of the members of his household and companions for the sake of Islam and in order to "protect the Islamic Shari'a" against violations by the Umayyad dynasty "rulers." He says none of the Muslim denominations differ on the character of Imam al-Husayn and they "have learned lessons from his martyrdom," noting that all the Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shi'is, "observe the martyrdom of the imam," adding that "even the Christians are proud of Imam al-Husayn," and adds: "They participate in observing this occasion. Indeed, this year they sent a delegation to Karbala to join the mourning processions." He says this occasion unifies the Iraqi people. He thanks "all the Iraqis - Sunnis, Shi'is and Christians - who participated in mourning for Imam al-Husayn," hoping that "everyone will work based on the principles of the revolution of Imam al-Husayn."

He says that those who carried out acts of sabotage against the Shi'i mourners "are a natural extension of those who committed the grotesque murders and terrorism" in Karbala. He says that millions of Iraqi mourners this year sent out a message, expressing determination to continue observing the "revolution" of Imam al-Husayn martyrdom. He praises the efforts of the security forces and the cooperation between them and the citizens to protect all those who flocked towards Karbala from all Iraqi areas, and adds: "God be praised, the visits to the Imam al-Husayn's mausoleum continued despite the terrorists who never spared any efforts to kill these visitors as they killed the companions of Imam al-Husayn and the members of his household in Karbala."

Asked to react to certain media "that have been highlighting allegations that the security conditions collapsed, or at least deteriorated; and that they are not as stable as the government had claimed," Al-Maliki says: "I tell those who regrettably wager on the collapse of the security conditions to save their breath. Nobody is capable now of bringing the conditions to a state of collapse. True, they carry out an attack here or an assault there but the security conditions will not collapse. This is a message to them. The entire world is writing about it, and how …