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| Sunni bloc rejoins Iraqi cabinet | Sunni bloc rejoins Iraqi cabinet |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The main Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq has rejoined the Shia-led government, in what correspondents called an important step for national reconciliation. | |
| The return of six ministers from the Accordance Front to the cabinet was approved by lawmakers. | The return of six ministers from the Accordance Front to the cabinet was approved by lawmakers. |
| The Sunni bloc withdrew almost a year ago following a row over power-sharing. | The Sunni bloc withdrew almost a year ago following a row over power-sharing. |
| A spokesman for the Accord Front said its return was "a real step forward for political reform" in the predominantly Shia country. | |
| The spokesman, Salim al-Joubouri, added that the bloc's approved candidates would attend the next cabinet meeting. | |
| Most of them are new faces nominated by the party. | |
| Their return is especially significant ahead of provincial elections that are expected later this year, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says. | |
| Crackdown on militants | |
| The move is also a sign of changed and considerably improved times, our correspondent says. | |
| The Accord Front's main reason for leaving the cabinet last August was that the government and security apparatus were dominated by Shia factions with an allegedly sectarian agenda. | |
| The main thrust of security operations at that time was against Sunni-based insurgents, and many thousands of Sunnis were detained, our correspondent says. | |
| But in February, many prisoners were freed under a new amnesty law. | |
| This spring, Iraqi security forces, along with American troops, also launched a concerted crackdown on the Shia militias, especially Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army. | |
| A number of Sunni Arab states have also been persuaded to revive their diplomatic presence and activities in Baghdad - another demand of the Iraqi Sunnis, our correspondent says. | |
| On Saturday, Iraqi parliament also voted another four ministers to replace those from the political bloc of radical Moqtada Sadr. |